


We're Not Using That Term

by Fraulein



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Apocalypse, Avengers doesn't happen, F/M, Gen, Post-Thor, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2019-08-09 09:19:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 91,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16447091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fraulein/pseuds/Fraulein
Summary: As far as apocalypse scenarios went Darcy thought they were doing pretty well.  They were still alive.  Now if they could just stay that way.  Luckily, Agent Coulson seemed invested in keeping them in one piece.Sorta, kinda, but not really zombies.  Not graphic.





	1. What Do You Mean Zombies?!

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Darcyland's October Challenge. The Oct 29th theme was 28 Days Later. This is my best shot at an apocalypse scenario. 
> 
> Thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming!

Everything seemed perfectly fine at first. Darcy and Jane had spent a three day weekend in the desert collecting data and camping. It wasn’t Darcy’s preference but it made sense as they had ventured so far from town. Now all she wanted was to get home, take a shower and make dinner.

Puente Antiguo had always been a sleepy little town. Driving in Darcy noticed a few oddly parked cars but other than that nothing really caught her attention as she pulled up to the dealership. She was just glad to get back to what passed for civilization because she hadn’t had cell coverage for the last three days. She wasn’t used to being cut off from social media and the world in general for such a length of time. 

They unpacked the van, hauling everything they needed inside and parked Jane’s trailer behind the dealership where it usually sat. Darcy plugged in all of their electronic equipment to recharge while she showered and made dinner. They went up to the roof to eat and watch the sunset as was their habit and it was then Darcy noticed something wasn’t quite right. There was a man slowly meandering down the street in an unsteady gait as if he were drunk. As she watched him a sense of unease crept over her. Call it intuition but Darcy’s inner alarm began to sound. Something wasn’t right. Darcy looked around the town a little more carefully and realized she couldn’t hear anything. As in there was no noise. No traffic, no voices, no movement beyond the one guy hobbling down the center of the street four blocks away. Disturbed Darcy stood and walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down at the silent town’s streets. Taking note again at the randomly parked vehicles she noticed one had a driver’s side door open. A large dark shape lay in front of the café, which took Darcy a millisecond to identify as a body. Horrified, she looked around the town, trying to see everything at once and said urgently, “Jane?”

“Yeah?” Jane answered absently, concentrating on the tablet she was holding and not paying attention.

“Jane?” Darcy repeated frantically, her voice spiking in fear as she spotted another body on the street, near a haphazardly parked car.  


Jane didn’t respond and as Darcy watched the man walking up the street turned to look directly at her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as he seemed zero in on her and began to make his way straight toward her. She watched for another second before saying frantically, “Jane. I think something is wrong.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Jane asked, finally picking up on Darcy’s tone.

“I don’t know what’s going on but there are two bodies on the street and there’s a guy walking this way and I think there is something wrong with him,” Darcy rushed to explain worriedly. 

Quickly getting up to join Darcy on the edge of the roof Jane asked in concern, “What are you talking about?”

Darcy gestured to the man who continued hobbling in their direction, with an intense look on his face. They watched him for a moment before Darcy pointed saying, “I think that’s a body in front of the diner. There’s another one over there.”

“No. That can’t – Oh my god. You’re right,” Jane said horrified.

The two women stood silently looking out across the town and then back down at the man that was making his way slowly toward them. It took Darcy a moment to notice that the brown shirt he was wearing wasn’t a design pattern. Realization hit her and she said in fearful dismay, “That’s blood. Oh god. Jane. He’s covered in blood.”

“What? No. That’s craz-” Jane argued, only to break off as recognition struck.

“That’s blood,” Darcy insisted in a panic. 

“That’s blood,” Jane repeated in revulsion as she began to look more carefully around the town to see what Darcy had been seeing. The streets were deserted and the only noise was the rough slide of the footsteps of the man coming their way. 

Watching the man shuffle toward them Darcy asked distractedly, “Do you have your phone?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Let me see it,” Darcy asked anxiously. 

Jane fumbled as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, not taking her eyes off the man who continued to slowly move in their direction. It took a moment to turn it on and load causing Darcy to grumble under her breath before saying anxiously, “Ok. So this isn’t good. There are riots in Chicago and Boston. CNN is reporting the entire country is under quarantine. They’ve grounded all flights. Everyone is being told to stay home. This is crazy. What is going on?!”

“Darcy, I think there is something seriously wrong with this guy. He’s covered in blood but his arm is only half there. It’s not right,” Jane observed worriedly.

“What?” Darcy looked up from the phone in alarm. 

“Look at his right arm,” Jane directed. 

Focusing on the man Darcy was startled to see how much closer he had gotten. In the twilight, she could see that his forearm was hanging at an odd angle and it appeared to be more slender than it should have been. From a distance and in the dimming light it looked black. As she looked at him she suddenly felt sick as she realized half of his arm was missing. 

“Jane, we need to get out of here. I don’t think we want to be here when that guy gets here,” Darcy said apprehensively. 

“Where are we going to go? He doesn’t look like he can climb, he can barely walk,” Jane said. 

Darcy looked at the man and had to agree with Jane, he was moving incredibly slowly, which made her all the more certain they could make it to the van if they left immediately. 

“We can’t stay here. We’re going to the van. But first I’m calling SHIELD. Coulson better have some answers because something is seriously wrong,” Darcy said fearfully as she searched for the agent’s number.

“He’s not moving fast. We still have time,” Jane said as Darcy made the call. It rang for a moment before it was answered abruptly, “Dr. Foster where are you?”

“This is Darcy. Jane and I are on the roof of the dealership. What the hell is going on?” Darcy asked frantically.

“Stay where you are. How long have you been there?” the voice demanded.

“We came up to eat dinner. What is going on?” Darcy repeated frantically. 

Suddenly Coulson came over the line calmly saying, “Hello, Miss Lewis. I’m glad to hear you and Dr. Foster are alive. Are you in a safe place?”

“I don’t know. Is the roof safe?” Darcy asked anxiously. 

“Actually, that’s perfect. Remain where you are. We’ll send an extraction team for you immediately,” Agent Coulson said confidently. 

“Ok, great. Want to tell me what is going on?” Darcy asked irately while reassured by the agent’s unflappability. 

There was silence on the other end of the line, prompting Darcy to ask worriedly, “Coulson? Are you there? What’s going on?”

“We believe a virus is spreading at an alarming rate. It appears to cause those infected to act out violently. It is possible the individuals affected are eating those they kill,” Agent Coulson reported emotionlessly. 

“Zombies?! You’re telling me there are zombies?” Darcy yelped in astonishment.

“We’re not using that term, Miss Lewis,” Agent Coulson said taciturn. 

“Sick people are killing and eating people. That sounds like zombies to me!” Darcy desperately insisted. 

“Just don’t leave the roof and you should be fine. Pick up will be there in thirty minutes,” Agent Coulson reassured her. With curiosity shading his tone he coolly asked, “In the meantime, can you tell me what you are seeing? How is the town?”

“The town is dead. Maybe literally,” Darcy said sarcastically adding agitatedly, “There are two bodies I can see from here on the street. There is one guy taking forever to walk up the street toward us but he’s making progress and he hasn’t looked away since he spotted me.”  


“So just one infected person,” the agent observed unconcerned.

“I guess. I can’t see anyone else. There are a bunch of cars that are parked randomly but there is no one around,” Darcy said, describing the scene. She asked apprehensively, “Are you going to evacuate the town?”

“That won’t be possible,” Agent Coulson answered flatly. 

“What if there are other people here?” Darcy asked in concern. 

“Honestly, Miss Lewis, I’m shocked to be hearing from you. I’m sorry to tell you this but with the rate this is spreading if the town has been infected it is unlikely there is anyone left to evacuate. Your trip to the desert probably saved your life,” the agent informed her matter of fact.

Darcy didn’t respond for a moment as what he said slowly sank in. 

“Miss Lewis are you there?” 

“Yeah, I’m here,” she said in a hushed tone, adding cautiously, “Coulson. How bad is it?”

The line was silent for a long moment before Coulson said, “Your pick up is 25 minutes out. Do not leave the roof for any reason. We don’t think they can climb. But there could be more individuals than the one you can see. It is imperative you stay where you are. Do you understand?”

“I understand. We’ll stay here. What – How – Where are you?”

“A secure location. You and Dr. Foster will be safe once you get here.”

“Coulson, how bad is it?” Darcy repeated hesitantly, dreading the answer.

“It’s not good. We are currently locating individuals such as yourself and bringing them in. It’s been three days. I hadn’t expected to hear from you and Dr. Foster at this point.”

“You thought we were dead,” Darcy accused him reproachfully. 

“Yes. Unfortunately, that was my assumption,” Agent Coulson confirmed, adding “While we were aware you were in the desert, we assumed you had been infected when you failed to respond to our attempts to contact you.”

“Yeah, we couldn’t get reception and then my phone died. I’m using Jane’s. She never turns it on,” Darcy explained. 

“Well, that is fortuitous. I need to go. Darcy, just remain where you are. Pick up is coming,” the agent assured her.

“Ok. We’ll stay here. Thanks, Agent Coulson.”

“We’ll see you when you get here. Just stay on the roof.”

“Ok,” Darcy said roughly just before the line went dead. The infected man was just across the street now and was looking up at them. He bared his teeth and emitted an odd groan as he stared up at them, and continued shuffling forward.

“Coulson said transport is coming. We can’t leave the roof,” Darcy declared anxiously. 

“You said, zombies. What is going on Darcy?” Jane asked edging toward hysteria. 

“Coulson said it’s a virus. He thinks the entire town is infected. We’re probably only alive because we’ve been camping for the last three days. We can’t leave the roof,” Darcy quickly explained worriedly, staring down at the man approaching the dealership. 

“We need to get out of here. Coulson said they’re going to pick us up?” Jane asked urgently. 

“He said 25 minutes. I’m guessing by air. It’s the only way to get here that quickly,” Darcy responded. 

The women watched as the man finished crossing the street and continued to stare up at them. He was a horrific sight but they kept him under observation as they continued to look across the eerily empty town in the dimming evening light. 

“How did we not notice this when we drove in?” Jane asked in dismay.

“You were looking at your tablet and I saw the cars but didn’t think much of it. I just wanted to get home. I mean, it’s always sort of deserted, you know?” Darcy said, reaching for an excuse to explain their lack of awareness.

“Yeah, but not like this. This is creepy,” Jane declared taking a hesitant step back from the roof’s edge. 

Darcy didn’t respond as she watched the man slowly walk back and forth in front of the dealership, not taking his eyes off of her. She hoped it wouldn’t occur to him to walk around back to the building’s ladder. So far he didn’t seem to want to let her out of his sight. The women were silent as the skies darkened and the man below them continued to periodically groan. The wind picked up and a scent of something putrid filled the air. It struck Darcy in an instant that she was probably smelling bodies. 

Time seemed to creep by as the shadows lengthened and the sun finished setting while the cold desert air began to wrap around them. The sound of the man’s odd shuffle along with his groans filled the town’s silence. It was a relief when a low pitched hum began to grow. Turning toward the north Darcy and Jane watched as lights in the sky came closer and within moments a military helicopter was lowering two soldiers to the roof. They quickly pulled Darcy and Jane aboard and they left the darkened town in the desert and flew into the night sky.


	2. This is Supposed to be a Rescue, Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy had no idea getting rescued could be so terrifying. Luckily, Coulson rescues them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and for being so generous with her time to help me brainstorm!

Relieved to leave the ghoulish town behind Darcy wasn’t sure what she was expecting but being flung into the corner of a helicopter and having a gun pointed in her face wasn’t it. Terrified she huddled with Jane and anxiously watched the black-clad soldiers as they kept her in their sights. That zombies were real was sinking in, but her more immediate concern was just what was going to happen next. The men before her seemed more than a little on edge and hostile. 

The noise of the helicopter’s rooters precluded conversation and the flight was a long, tense affair. The atmosphere became even more fraught when Darcy shifted to get more comfortable and the armed men immediately came to attention. Darcy froze in alarm, unnerved as the number of machine guns pointed in her direction increased from a few to all eight. She very slowly raised her hands indicating she wasn’t a threat. Her breathing picked up in fear as she glanced at Jane who sat rigidly next to her and the two tried to press back further away from the agitated men before them. Trying to determine just what was making the group so tense Darcy had to wonder what the men thought she and Jane could do. They were unarmed, outnumbered, and half the size of even one of the men. It was an immense relief when the helicopter began its descent onto a brightly lit tarmac. 

The soldiers hustled off the helicopter leaving Darcy and Jane behind afraid to move and glancing at one another worriedly, wondering what would happen next. When one of the men turned back to gesture to them to follow the women warily climbed out of the vehicle. Conscious of the guns still pointed in their direction, they carefully kept their distance as they were directed off to the side. They tried to appear as non-threatening as possible as they put their hands up halfway as if to reassure the men they were harmless. As the helicopter’s engine wound down one of the soldiers yelled, “Stay here. You need to go into quarantine.”

Darcy nodded in understanding and lowered her hands only to wrap them around herself to try to ward off the cold. They had landed at a makeshift base with a crude airstrip and another helicopter nearby. While huge spotlights lit up the immediate area they were surrounded by a vast open dark space, lit only by the stars in the sky. Suddenly, a dilapidated white truck pulled up with three men in ball caps and plaid flannel shirts, each holding a rifle. Glancing at the soldier who was pointing a gun at Jane and Darcy and the driver asked, “This them? How long?”

“We picked them up an hour ago coming back from another pickup that was a bust. That one went to hell as soon as we set down. So far these two are ok. Command says they weren’t exposed,” the soldier said doubtfully. 

“Yeah, right. I’ve heard that before,” one of the men jeered. He slowly looked Jane and Darcy over, clearly skeptical and unimpressed with what he was seeing and with a jerk of his head ordered, “Get in the back.”

Jane and Darcy floundered, glancing worriedly between the soldier and the armed men, uncomfortable with the order but hesitant to voice their concern. After a moment they cautiously climbed into the back of the pickup. The women had barely seated themselves in the bed of the truck when the driver gunned the engine, throwing them to the floor. 

“Ow,” Darcy cried out as she tried to right herself. Jane groaned next to her, flailing about as well. Neither could quite get upright as the truck bounced along, the driver unconcerned with his passengers in the back. The two were finally able to brace themselves against opposite wheel wells and had a chance to take in their surroundings. Once they left the brightly lit tarmac they entered a dark valley lit only by the bright night sky with mountains towering forbiddingly above them. The truck left the paved road for rough gravel causing the women’s uncomfortable bumpy ride to worsen. Suddenly, the truck came to an abrupt stop throwing the women toward the cab of the truck. Complaining to one another as they sat up and the pair saw a dark trailer that seemed to be sitting in the middle of nowhere. 

“Alright ladies. Get out. Stay here until someone comes and gets you. I wouldn’t leave the camper. We’ve had to shot a few sickos that broke quarantine,” one of the men directed.

Jane and Darcy had barely scrambled out of the truck when it pulled away leaving them in the dust. They looked after it and then at one another in dismay. Together they turned to consider the camper. It was about the same size as Jane’s and after of moment, Darcy timidly opened the door. Jane held it open hoping to give Darcy some light while she stepped in and began to look for a power switch. When she found that none of the switches worked Darcy pulled out Jane’s phone and turned it on, lighting up the enclosed space. Taking in the dim interior Jane resolutely climbed in locking the door behind her. 

They mutely surveyed the small camper, neither impressed by what they saw. There were only a few bench cushions around a table, which could be made into a bed. Darcy lowered herself on to a bench and continued to hold up the phone, to light the room. Jane reached up and began opening cupboards above the sink hoping to find something useful like blankets. After a futile search she sat on the bench opposite Darcy and said, “Not exactly the most comfortable place to spend the night but we can take the table down and make a bed to sleep on at least.”

With a resigned sigh Darcy shut off the phone leaving them in the dark. They sat in silence for a long moment before Darcy said worriedly, “I need to call my parents. They probably think I’m dead.”

“Oh god, Darcy. Yes. Call them,” Jane hurriedly encouraged her, adding, “And, then I’m calling Erik.”

Darcy picked up the phone and pensively punched in her home phone number, dread creeping over her. She tried to hold out hope as she heard the phone ring but knew if there were riots in Boston, Arlington VA and Washington DC probably hadn’t fared much better. The phone continued to ring until the answering service picked up. Darcy listened to her mother tell the caller to leave a message and with her voice cracking said, “Hey, Mom and Dad. Just wanted to let you know I’m fine. Some government guys rescued Jane and me. So we’re good. Call back to this number, ok. It’s Jane’s phone, I lost mine. Ok, love you. Bye.”

She ended the call and slowly pushed the phone over to Jane. Darcy caught Jane’s eye and glanced away, clearly not wanting to talk about it. Jane took a breath and determinedly pulled up Erik’s number. The call also went to voice mail and she left a stilted message reassuring him they were fine and asking him to call her back.

Wordlessly the pair sat in the dark as the possibilities of what their loved ones faced haunted them. Darcy quietly suggested, “Let’s make the bed. Maybe we can get some sleep.”

Jane quickly agreed. 

As Darcy lay curled on her side, wishing for a pillow and blanket, the trauma of the evening began to catch up with her. A few tears fell as her thoughts strayed to her parents but she shakily brushed them away. The brief flashes of honesty she had recognizing that they were most likely dead was just too much to handle right then. Instead, she worried about what her future held. She dreaded to think just what might be coming if the past two hours were any indication of how the world now worked. 

The armed, hostile men she had dealt with had been nothing short of terrifying and she intrinsically knew she would have no way of defending herself against them if she had any reason to. She hated to think of the circumstances in which she would need to even consider something like that. But there was a shaky fearful part of her that knew she could easily be facing the worst apocalypse type scenario where the rule of law was rescinded. If that were the case she recognized she and Jane were exceptionally vulnerable. Fear crept through her as she briefly considered just what they could do and she was sickened realizing they had few if any options. 

In desperate hope she latched on to the image of Agent Coulson. She trusted the man with his unflappable demeanor who always seemed to be either slightly annoyed with or amused by her. Whenever he was around she found herself wanting to tease him, just to see how he would react. He continually appeared to be holding himself back from acknowledging that he found her either frustrating or entertaining. Darcy held out hope that if he had cared enough to send soldiers to rescue them that maybe he would continue to extend his protection. Her heart hurt thinking that while he might be a man of honor, in their new circumstances even he might have difficulty doing what was right no matter how hard he might try. 

Meanwhile Jane was having her own dark thoughts. She was scared but more than anything she felt guilty and selfish as she was worried about her work and wondered if and when she could return to it. While she had been terrified and dismayed by the past few hours, she still couldn’t get past that she had work she needed to finish. But, Jane had to reluctantly acknowledge that if things were as bleak as they seemed, then it was highly unlikely she would be able to return to her research. 

The pair had a cold, restless night’s sleep and waited impatiently for someone to come to pick them up. The day was just beginning to warm when the abrupt sound of gunfire broke the silence causing the women to stiffen and look at one another in alarm. Two volleys echoed through the valley only to be followed with a few more sharp reports. The women fearfully scrambled to look out each of the camper’s windows. 

Jane anxiously described, “There’s another camper on the other side of the valley. There are a couple of trucks with a bunch of guys in black standing around them.”

Darcy hurried over to her side of the camper and looked out the window. Neither woman said anything as they watched the men congregate around some big black jeeps and a few gathered off to the side of the camper. Understanding dawned simultaneously and Jane gasped out horrified, “Oh my god. They shot someone. And, they’re going to bury them right there!”

Both women were silent for a moment before Darcy quietly observed, “That camper must have been used for quarantine, too.”

“But they just shot them,” Jane said shocked.

“Yeah,” Darcy agreed dolefully. “Probably because whoever was in there was infected. If what Coulson said was true, then they probably tried to attack them,” she said reticently. 

“Oh god,” Jane said in dismay. 

“I’m beginning to understand why those soldiers were so freaked out last night,” Darcy admitted remorsefully.

“I guess. But we weren’t exposed. That soldier said so when those guys picked us up,” Jane argued. 

“Yeah,” Darcy reluctantly agreed before pointing out, “But for all they knew we could have been. If the virus has spread this fast in four or five days it’s got to be pretty deadly. It doesn’t look like anyone is taking any chances.”

The women quietly watched as the men dug for some time and then they watched in dread as the men pulled out a large blue tarp from the back of a jeep. With their view blocked the pair couldn’t see what the men were doing but a short time later the men pulled the weighted down tarp toward the hole. They rolled the tarp into the hole and then began to shovel dirt into it. After they finished one of the men pulled a container out of the back of a truck and threw it into the camper. Moments later flames sprang from the open door of the camper and it was quickly engulfed. The women watched in trepidation as the men then returned to their jeeps and drove away. The pair sat back on the bench they were kneeling on and numbly considered what they had seen.

“This isn’t good,” Jane said despondently.

Darcy shook her head, saying slowly, “No, it really isn’t.”

As the day progressed Darcy and Jane heard shots ring out on two other occasions, each time causing them to scramble to the windows. But there was nothing of interest to see beyond the bright yellow Aspen trees fluttering in the distance and as the shots seemed to be coming from some distance away they could only worry and wonder about what was happening. 

 

The morning passed into late afternoon and the pair became hungry and thirsty and they began to worry they had been forgotten. Neither wanted to venture outside, given what they had seen and heard that morning, but were at a loss as to know what to do. Darcy was fidgeting to find a more comfortable seat when she felt the cellphone in her pocket.

“We could call Coulson,” she suggested uncertainly as she held up the phone.

“Do you think we should? He’s probably really busy,” Jane said doubtfully.

“True, but I don’t know about you but I could use a bathroom and I’m not going to risk getting shot. So we either call him or I wet my pants,” Darcy said with mild sarcasm. 

After a moments consideration Jane said decisively, “Call him.”

Darcy nodded and turned on the phone and quickly pulled up the number. It rang twice before Coulson answered saying, “Dr. Foster? Are you ok?”

“It’s Darcy. We’re fine. Sort of,” she assured him.

“Where are you?” the agent asked curtly.

“I don’t know,” Darcy responded derisively, adding worriedly, “Some guys in a pickup dropped us off in the middle of nowhere last night. We’re trapped in a camper because they told us if we left we’d be shot.” “And, considering they shot someone this morning, I’m not about to go anywhere,” Darcy added sarcastically. “But I really need to pee. I get that a quarantine is important but we’re not sick. Can someone come get us? Please?” she pleaded hesitantly. 

“I see. It’s good that you didn’t leave the camper. We had a few incidents. I’m sure that’s why no one has been able to pick you up. I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Coulson advised her. 

“Ok. Thank you. I’m sorry to bother you,” Darcy said contritely.

“It’s fine. I should have had someone check on you sooner. I apologize for that oversight,” Coulson said formally, adding with concern tainting his tone, “Darcy, don’t leave the camper. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“We’ll be here,” Darcy assured him. 

 

A short time later the sound of a truck pulled up and looking out the window Darcy watched as Agent Coulson, clad in what looked like a black army uniform, stepped out of a massive four-door black jeep. 

Darcy threw open the camper door and greeted him with an enthusiastic grin saying, “Hey, good to see you Agent Coulson. Now, where’s a bush?”

A vaguely stunned expression crossed Coulson’s face before he quickly collected himself and said placidly, “I’m afraid we’re all out of bushes, Miss Lewis. But no one should be able to see you on the other side of the trailer.” 

“Great! Sorry, but a girl has to go when a girl has to go,” Darcy said brightly, hurrying off.

Coulson’s eyes followed the irreverent young woman as she scurried around the camper. Her shocking behavior, given the circumstances, took him by complete surprise and amusement washed over him, causing some of the tension in his shoulders to release. The grinding pressure of the last few days had taken its toll and his body felt it. Darcy’s lightheartedness in face of the horror he had been dealing with might seem gauche but for him, it was a breath of fresh air he sorely needed. 

He had come to pick up the women out of a sense of guilt as he had intended to have someone check on them but it had slipped his mind. Now, Coulson was glad he had come himself. Driving down through the town and out into the valley had given him a brief reprieve from the unrelenting demands of command. In addition, with as horrific as everything had been he had forgotten how charmed he continually was by Darcy and her joyful approach to life. She startled him because she was the first person he had seen a smile in days. Coulson was abashed to realize that Darcy filled him with a glimmer of hope and because of that, he suddenly wanted to protect her from the brutality and horror of the past five days. He wanted to save at least one good thing and he was a bit disconcerted to realize he wanted it to be her. 

Bemused, it took a moment for Coulson to notice Jane as she stepped down out of the camper. Offering her a bottle of water he asked cordially, “Dr. Foster, good to see you. Are you hungry? I have MREs. They’re not bad really.”

“Agent Coulson. Hi,” Jane greeted the agent dispirited. “Anything sounds good right about now,” she replied, opening the bottle and taking a sip as she took in the valley spread out before them and the mountains dusted with snow towering above. 

The agent quickly distributed the provisions and as the women tore into their ready-made meals Coulson relaxed back against the vehicle and asked, “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about what you saw in Puente Antiguo last night?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Darcy said as she leaned against the jeep next to him and dug into her meal. 

“You said you didn’t see anyone sick at first. What tipped you off that there was a problem with the town?” Coulson asked contemplatively. 

Darcy was quiet a moment before saying thoughtfully, “I don’t really know. We were on the roof eating dinner and then suddenly something seemed off. I think it was because it was so quiet. It was eerie. You never really notice the noises people make – like traffic or talking or whatever – until it’s not there. And, there wasn’t any noise.” Darcy paused and shaking off the unease creeping over her said with certainty, “I just knew something was wrong. And, there was this guy at the end of the street. He was just meandering around. But he could barely walk and then, I don’t know, I started to look around more closely.”

“What did you see that made you know there was a problem?” Coulson asked, tilting his head to observe her.

Darcy contemplated her meal for a moment before saying slowly, “There was a driver’s side door open on a car that wasn’t parked very well, about two blocks down.” She added fervently, “And, then I saw a body in front of the diner. I didn’t believe it at first. There was another one about two blocks away next to a car in the other direction and that’s when it really, really hit that something was seriously wrong.”

“I didn’t notice anything until Darcy started freaking out,” Jane offered looking up from her meal. “And, I didn’t believe her at first but then – she was right. There were two bodies on the street. And, that guy was really creepy. He was covered in blood and he stared at us the entire time he walked up the street. He was going really slowly.” She paused and asked questioningly, “Does everyone that’s sick walk that slowly? Because we could have outrun him if we had to.”

“No. I would guess the man you saw was injured. From my experience the infected are just as able as you or I. They can be quite fast,” Coulson coolly informed her. 

“Ok, so now I’m starting to understand why the soldiers that picked us up last night were so freaked out,” Darcy said ruefully. 

“I guess it does make sense, if they thought we were going to attack them,” Jane agreed apprehensively.

“What happened last night?” Coulson asked casually, his eyes narrowing slightly in concern as he looked at them expectantly.

“Well, they were just a little paranoid,” Darcy said sarcastically only to remorsefully concede, “Not that I really blame them now. But at the time having eight huge guys point their guns in my face was terrifying. And then getting thrown in the back of a truck driven by three guys with guns only to be left off here in the middle of nowhere in the dark was a bit disconcerting.”

Jane agreed, exclaiming, “I didn’t know what to think. It was like everyone thought we were dangerous or something.”

“Unfortunately, the infected are unpredictable,” Coulson explained, adding, “The men you were dealing with last night have been attacked by the people they’ve been sent to rescue. They’ve seen the infected appear normal one minute and attack the next, so they’re cautious.”  


Darcy nodded in contemplation saying tentatively, “I get it. Or, I don’t get it. But I understand.”

“This morning was horrible,” Jane stated with a shudder, adding contritely, “If they’ve had to shot people who’ve attacked them – I can’t imagine. It’s terrible.”

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Coulson said regretfully. “Fortunately, we had enough campers and you weren’t put in with anyone sick.”  


Darcy abruptly stopped eating and looked up in alarm questioning.

Coulson shrugged noncommittally before saying repentantly, “It’s happened. Not everyone understood how imperative it was to keep people separated. They do now. The virus takes 4 to 6 hours to manifest. It’s been 5 days. At this point, everyone now understands they need to take extreme precautions.” He frowned and said earnestly, “As best as we can tell the virus spreads via fluids. The infected are very violent. Don’t let them bite you. It’s best if you avoid being touched or touching anything the infected might have come in contact with.” 

“Gotcha,” Darcy uneasily nodded as she dug into her meal packet.

They were silent for a moment as Darcy looked up at the mountain peaks that held traces of snow. Below the peaks were a mix of pine and bright yellow Aspen, showing the change in the season. The mountain tapered out into a broad valley with a river meandering through it. Taking it all in Darcy asked curiously, “Where exactly are we?”

“Colorado. Rio Grande National Forest specifically. The town of Creede is a few miles northwest of here. This is a good location for staging. It’s isolated. With a limited population,” Coulson explained matter of fact.

“Staging?” Jane asked uncertainly. 

“Search and rescue. That is our primary mission now,” the agent stated.

“How did this happen?” Jane asked in disbelief.

“There are a number of theories but right now we are focused on the mission,” Coulson said evasively. 

“How did you get here from wherever you were? And, why did you come here? I mean, does SHIELD just happen to have a base here or something?” Darcy asked looking at Coulson expectantly. 

“Or something,” Coulson said wryly. “Four days ago I was at a SHIELD facility in New Mexico – not far from Puente Antiguo. We evacuated as many as we could and Creede was the closest site that wasn’t compromised. Once we arrived, we tried to notify as many towns as possible but for the most part, we were too late. Creede is isolated and we got here in time to set up a roadblock. We were lucky.”

Jane looked up expectantly and said, “Wait. You were in New Mexico? Do you know what happened to Erik?” She added apologetically, “I know he was studying something for SHIELD. He wasn’t supposed to tell us but he slipped. He said he wouldn’t be far so I figured he was still in the state.”

Coulson crossed his arms and with a sympathetic grimace said, “I’m sorry to tell you this Dr. Foster but Dr. Selvig is dead. He was part of a group of scientists who were exposed when they were on leave at a local bar. He was one of the people who infected the facility.”

“Oh god. Erik,” Jane gasped, voice breaking as tears quickly gathered. 

“You’re sure?” Darcy asked under her breathe, looking at Coulson expectantly.

The agent nodded grimly, not elaborating how he knew.

Darcy looked down at her meal dejectedly; no longer hungry, fighting back tears. She swallowed hard and taking a drink of water cleared her throat. Looking out at the towering mountain peaks she asked, “So now what happens?”

Recognizing her readiness to move forward, Coulson opened the driver’s side door of the jeep saying, “Now we find a way for you to support the rescue initiative. Dr. Foster, your degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering should come in handy.”

“Ok?” Jane replied brokenly as she began to reseal her meal. 

“We might ask you to take on a role with transportation or logistics. They could both use assistance,” Coulson said.

“And me?” Darcy asked doubtfully as she walked around to the other side of the vehicle.

“I’m sure we’ll find a place for you. Command could always use support personnel,” Coulson assured her unconcerned, adding as he started the engine, “You’re good with spreadsheets, and organization. We could use someone helping with supplies.”

“Yeah, sure,” Darcy readily agreed.

“How long do you think we’ll be here? I left all of my research behind. Everything I need is in Puente Antiguo,” Jane asked anxiously as she settled into the back seat.

Coulson glanced in the rearview mirror disconcerted and said mildly perturbed, “Dr. Foster, for the foreseeable future we will be working out of this location. I can’t begin to say when you will be able to continue with your research.” 

“Oh,” Jane said in subdue disappointment.

Darcy wasn’t surprised. Every zombie movie and TV show she had ever seen prepared her for the apocalypse scenario they found themselves in. Jane still didn’t understand that the world they knew just the day before was gone. Darcy, on the other hand, was keenly aware that nothing would ever be the same. She did, however, take comfort in their interaction with Agent Coulson. While he wasn’t dressed in his usual stogy button-down suit, he was still a solid reassuring presence. She felt secure it putting her trust in the man. Her most immediate concern was trying to ascertain just why Agent Coulson had bothered to pick them up himself as she suspected he was probably the guy in charge. With everything going on she didn’t expect them to merit his personal attention, yet here he was.

Coulson looked thoughtful but didn’t address Jane distress. Instead, he said, “Why don’t I show you where you’ll be staying. SHIELD agents working in command are staying in the building as well. You’ll need to share but I think you’ll find it comfortable.”

As Coulson turned the jeep north he evaluated the women. Darcy was unsurprisingly well grounded and very aware of the circumstances they were facing even while retaining her trademark good nature. Jane on the other hand still hadn’t accepted her new reality. While he was concerned about both of them he worried more for Jane as they needed her abilities. He knew as of yet, Jane was unaware that she was one of the most valuable people they had rescued. With degrees in both electrical and mechanical engineering Coulson foresaw numerous scenarios where they would need her expertise. Jane just needed to shift her mindset and understand they would be in survival mode for the foreseeable future.


	3. Only the Most Fashion Forward Survive an Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The apocalypse seems surprisingly mellow at first. Then Coulson and Darcy start to deal with some cold hard facts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming! You are incredibly generous with your time.

The black tactical gear Coulson had been wearing gave him a militaristic persona that he wanted to avoid at all costs. While he preferred to wear a suit he needed the local population to quickly accept him as their new leader and he knew blending in with the populace would expedite that transition. He had been lucky that both the mayor and sheriff had acquiesced to his taking charge as both men recognized they were ill-equipped to handle the situation. As such, Coulson thought it was it was in everyone’s best interest if he adjusted to the area’s customs. Knowing that Darcy and Jane also needed a change of clothes he mentally reorganized his schedule for the day and went to see how the women had fared overnight. 

Coulson was apprehensive about knocking on the women’s door as he worried about the state they’d be in after their traumatic rescue. He was hopeful the comfortable accommodations would help them quickly adjust as he needed Jane to take on a number of responsibilities and he was sure Darcy would be of use as well. Coulson was relieved when the pair enthusiastically invited him in gushing about their one bedroom mini apartment and offered him coffee. The breakfast MREs he presented were happily accepted and he found his worry lessen as he saw how quickly the two seemed to have adapted to their new environment. On closer observation, he thought Jane and Darcy might be just a little too enthusiastic. Both women seemed fine on the surface but Coulson could see cracks in their veneer as their smiles were just a little forced. It was to be expected they would be shaken by last 36 hours but he had to commend them for attempting to make the best of a very difficult situation. 

“Got to say, Coulson, I wasn’t expecting digs this nice in a town of 300 people,” Darcy said brightly as she poured him a cup of coffee. 

“Creede’s economy relies on tourists. We were lucky. Fall is their offseason,” Coulson explained as he opened a sugar packet. He added confidently, “You should be comfortable here. SHIELD’s rented the building for the next 12 months. Hopefully, we’ll have another solution by then.” He carefully avoided making eye contact as he stirred his coffee. He foresaw two scenarios. They’d either still be there in 12 months or they’d likely be dead. Coulson wasn’t about to share that.

Jane looked up from her MRE in surprise saying, “Wow. Thank you. I have no idea what we would have done if you hadn’t put us up here.”  


Coulson took a sip of his coffee and said somberly, “As of right now we’re housing about 100 people between rescues, tourists and SHIELD personnel. Most are in hotels or bed and breakfasts’. SHIELD’s strike team is staged out of the high school. But we’ll need to find a more permanent solution for everyone soon. There are a number of rental homes in the area for tourists. We’ll probably have to confiscate them for housing.” 

The women nodded in understanding as they ate their breakfast. Darcy looked down at her packet skeptically and then up at Coulson saying with a wry smile, “You just happened to have MREs on hand? SHIELD has caches of stuff nearby, right? Last night you didn’t really say why you came here.” 

“Yes. SHEILD owns one of the nearby inactive gold mines,” Coulson willingly conceded, impressed but not surprised Darcy had taken notice. “The provisions it offers should hold us over for a time but we’ll need to make arrangements to procure more as soon as possible. There isn’t enough to support the population for an entire winter,” he added solemnly, not wanting to worry her but also feeling she needed to know the truth. 

Darcy looked solemnly down at her meal nodding in understanding, as awareness of their changed circumstances once again hit home. She had never eaten an MRE before the previous evening, and she had a feeling she would be relying on them for meals for the foreseeable future. That they would run out was also a new, unfamiliar concern. Trying to shake off her unsettling thoughts Darcy forced a smile and trying to reassert some of her usual vibrant personality demanded playfully, “A gold mine? What is SHIELD doing with a gold mine?”

Coulson responded placidly, “Inactive gold mine. And SHIELD often uses retired facilities to store supplies. We were lucky it was so close to a town.” Taking a sip of coffee he added, “I thought we’d head over to Main Street to go shopping after breakfast as you both need clothes.”

Darcy grinned mischievously and teased, “Are you going to Pretty Woman us?”

Mildly amused, Coulson allowed a trace of humor to color his tone saying, “I don’t believe either of you are tall enough to be Julia Roberts.”

“Hey! Jane and I are plenty tall. Aren’t we Jane?”

“You should never comment on a woman’s height. We’re a little testy about it,” Jane said in mock seriousness, playing along.

“I see. Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m no Richard Gere,” Coulson affably offered. 

“Oh, I don’t know, Coulson,” Darcy objected as she gave him a quick once-over before declaring, “You have this sort of in control, bad-ass vibe about you. Richard Gere doesn’t have anything on you.”

Surprised by her evaluation Coulson said drily, “Thank you, Miss Lewis. I do my best.”

After breakfast, the group ventured out on to Main Street and Coulson explained that the town had thus far resisted panicking. SHIELD was encouraging everyone to continue to run their businesses and volunteer to support the town’s efforts to prepare for the future. They fell it was best to keep everyone busy rather than allow inactivity to nurture fear. 

There was a slight chill in the morning air and bright yellow cottonwood and aspen tree leaves crunched beneath their feet as the threesome walked toward downtown. Before them stood a sheer towering cliff that led further into the canyon that dramatically loomed over the town. Main Street took them past small charming log cabins and cottages, to a short line of restaurants, boutiques and galleries housed in the town’s few two-story brick buildings. Coulson led them to a sporting goods store saying, “Get whatever you need. SHIELD will cover it.”

“We don’t want to be any trouble,” Jane said worriedly.

“It’s no trouble,” Coulson assured her. As he ushered her inside he added, “Winter is coming. You need proper clothes.”

“Just so you know, I’m not modeling anything for you,” Darcy said jokingly as she slipped past him into the rustic store. She found it easy to fall into teasing Coulson. It was something safe and familiar that beat back some of the fear and grief that kept creeping up on her at odd moments. 

“Somehow I’ll manage to live with my disappointment,” Coulson said wryly, enjoying Darcy’s banter while recognizing it for what it was. He was more than willing to play along with the young woman if retreating into humor helped her deal with the new grim reality they faced.  


A woman behind the counter greeted them warmly and chatted as they shopped, pointing out items she thought they might like. Jane and Darcy quickly found both summer and winter clothes and were struggling to find pants when Darcy noticed Coulson was shopping as well. Darcy grinned and pulled out a simple navy blue flannel shirt saying as she held it up to him, “I think this would work for you. It’ll bring out your eyes.”

Coulson glanced down at it and with a small appreciative smile said drolly, “If you say so, Miss Lewis.”

“Oh my god. It’s just Darcy,” she insisted with a petulant grin. “And you need more blue. You’ll look good in blue,” she declared. 

“Very well. Darcy. Thank you. And, you both should try to find boots and winter coats while you’re here. The weather will be severe. Get turtlenecks and fleece, too,” he said glancing at her stack of clothes. Looking at her intently he said with heavy emphasis, “You’ll need everything. Coats, hats, gloves, boots – everything.” He silently hoped he wouldn’t have to explain further and that she would simply follow his instructions. However, Coulson was fairly certain Darcy would come to the conclusions he was directing her toward without him stating the obvious. 

Darcy paused for a moment puzzled by his odd intensity, sensing he was implying more than he was saying. She glanced around the shop and then down at the shirt she was holding with consternation. Understanding dawned and Darcy slowly looked up at Coulson in trepidation. Meeting his penetrating stare she handed him the blue flannel shirt and nodded solemnly. Turning away she called out, “Hey Jane, we need to try on boots.” 

Initially, Darcy didn’t think anything of stopping at the sporting goods store. It made sense as they only had the clothes on their backs and winter was right around the corner. It wasn’t until Coulson made a point of telling her what to buy that it dawned on Darcy that the store was probably the only one offering clothing in such a small town. The gnawing fear that had dissipated came rushing back with the realization that this wasn’t just any shopping trip. 

When a group of tourists entered the shop Darcy quietly pulled a few more turtlenecks and flannel shirts from the racks for the both she and Jane and began to pick up the clothes they had set aside. As they tried on boots Darcy pulled the jackets they had chosen closer and she caught Coulson’s eye as he glanced in her direction. His grave expression let Darcy know he recognized she understood the seriousness of the situation. 

Darcy chivvied Jane into finishing up and quickly began to gather their choices to take to the register. Coulson met her there and they stood silently shoulder to shoulder as Jane absently sorted through hats and mittens commenting on how pretty the designs were. Darcy encouraged her to choose a pair and picked up two pairs of wool socks for each of them and then added two pairs to Coulson’s pile. She glanced at him and added a navy scarf, a muted blue fleece pullover, and thermal gloves to his pile as well. The pair nodded at one another in understanding and quietly finished their purchase and left the store as discretely as possible. 

Relieved to leave the store behind her, Darcy couldn’t help but worry about what they had just done. Supplies were going to be at a premium very soon. Coulson had purposefully bought Jane and Darcy everything they’d need to survive the winter before anyone else thought to do so. Other people would inevitably go without as it was obvious the store did not have enough in stock to clothe the entire town or even just the refugees they were taking in. 

As they separated to go to their rooms Coulson caught Darcy’s eye and grimly nodded at her in understanding, clear that they both knew what they had just done. Putting themselves and their needs before everyone else left Darcy feeling guilty and heavy-hearted. As she walked to her apartment she felt shaky tears well up as fear threatened to overtake her. Taking a deep breath Darcy got her emotions under control and had to acknowledge a small sense of pride that Agent Coulson had trusted her to understand the problem and act without drawing attention to it. Dropping off her purchases and quickly changing into something clean and warm Darcy was also profoundly grateful Coulson thought enough of them to make sure they were taken care of. 

Shaking out the thick blue flannel shirt Darcy had suggested he buy Coulson had to admit it would be comfortable and was an attractive color. He was relieved at how well their shopping trip had gone. Coulson was unsurprised that while Darcy had quickly understood how direr their circumstances were, Jane was completely oblivious. It saddened him that Darcy had to be aware of how bad the situation was but it reassured him that is was likely she would be able to look after herself as well as Jane in the coming days. Given the circumstances, Coulson was uncomfortable with his decision to thoroughly outfit the women for winter but he was resigned to accept it. He didn’t want them to face the hardships that he knew were coming and he chose to do what he could to protect them. 

Resolved to ignore the guilt he was feeling, Coulson quickly changed out of his black tactical gear into more casual clothes. He was aware that his adoption of local customs would help build rapport and trust, something sorely needed. Coulson knew SHIELD could easily be seen as a foreign occupying force and he truly did not want that to happen. Coulson hoped the local population would see that SHIELD only wanted the best for everyone and would work with SHIELD and not against them. It was one of the reasons he was encouraging agents to spend money freely in town. Keeping business owners happy for as long as possible would go a long way in generating good will. It would be worth it if spending money now eased the way so that people would get along better later. Besides which, Coulson was certain that money would have no real value very soon. 

Jane, for her part, was happy with her purchases and was touched that Agent Coulson had taken the time to take them shopping. She was a little puzzled as to why the agent had done so as she suspected he had better things to do, but she was grateful nonetheless for her new warm clothes. She noticed that both Darcy and Coulson were unusually quiet on their return trip from shopping but dismissed it as he was usually taciturn and Darcy’s moods were unpredictable at best. 

Instead, Jane anxiously considered just what Agent Coulson was going to ask her to do. The past few years she had focused on astrophysics and had used the skills she had gained from mechanical and electrical engineering only in passing. She had to admit her work was rather esoteric and did not fall into the practical side of engineering. Jane worried she might not be able to contribute as much as he seemed to expect. 

A short time later Jane and Darcy met up with Coulson in their building foyer, each wearing fresh, clean warm clothes and they left for the command center. It was surprising to see Coulson in such casual attire but he still had a restrained, in control presence about him and appeared just as unflappable. The day had warmed and on their walk, to the commandeered county courthouse they passed under sun filtered yellow aspen while listening to Coulson explain the mission. “SHIELD is heading the rescue operation, with local support. So far we’ve been able to locate two other efforts – run by the military, in Colorado and New Mexico. Currently, we’re trying to allocate housing, meals, and supplies.” Turning to Darcy he said, “I was hoping you might assist Agent Rivera. He’s been working with local establishments to evaluate existing food supplies and determine where we might be able to locate more.”

“Yeah, sure,” Darcy readily agreed. 

“Dr. Foster, we have a team evaluating our long-term power consumption and determining the best sources of electricity and water as they will be vital to secure. We could use someone with your expertise on the team,” Coulson hopefully explained.  


“I can do that,” Jane quickly acquiesced. 

Arriving at the command center they were greeted by a hushed silence with just a murmur of voices that made Darcy feel as if she needed to whisper. Walking by an open door she caught a glimpse of a subdue group of men in black uniforms congregated around two police officers leaning over a table full of maps. The seriousness of the situation weighed on her as each open door revealed a mix of locals and black-clad agents diligently working to ensure the town’s survival. 

Reaching a conference room at the back of the building Coulson introduced Darcy to an obviously stressed Agent Rivera and eight local people huddled around the table with a stack of papers. Once Coulson announced she was an expert at spreadsheets Darcy received an enthusiastic warm welcome. A computer was thrust in her direction before she had barely taken her coat off and Darcy laughed good-naturedly saying, “Wow. Ok. I promise I’ll help. Just give me criteria and explain what exactly it is you need.”

As introductions went around the room, Coulson stood back and watched as Darcy listened carefully to the group’s explanations and asked some pointed questions. As he turned away he heard Darcy’s teasing tone and then a laugh ripple through the group and he was gratified to know her good humor had momentarily broken the group’s understandable tension. Coulson was certain Darcy’s ability to get along with anyone would help further strengthen the team. And, he knew she would take some of the administrative responsibilities off of Agent Rivera’s shoulders, giving the man an opportunity to actually lead his vital group. 

It became clear just how urgent matters were when Darcy learned the next nearest grocery store was 55 miles away and the closest Walmart was 70 miles away. While there were a number of small towns and villages in between, it was 190 miles to a significantly sized city. The town was limited to the supplies they had on hand, which was not nearly enough to support its population long term. However, the grocery store had a surprisingly large inventory. The owner explained he always over-ordered in the fall because they were the only store in the valley and he had previously experienced shortages during freak fall blizzards. While the idea they could already have blizzards unnerved Darcy, the man’s willingness to share his supplies and knowledge was welcome. Building off of his spreadsheets Darcy got to work, expanding them and adding the school’s supplies as well as sorting out what the town’s restaurants had to contribute. 

In the meantime, Coulson escorted Jane into a smaller office containing an agent and two older local men who were anxiously consulting a computer. He glanced at Jane as if to reassure her and cleared his throat saying expectantly, “Gentlemen, I have someone I’d like you to meet. This is Dr. Jane Foster. She has PhDs in electrical and mechanical engineering as well as physics. I have a feeling she might be of some help.”

The agent stepped forward quickly, relief evident and his expression hopeful as he shook Jane’s hand saying, “Agent Nicholson. Agent Coulson has had nothing but good things to say. We’re glad to have you.” 

One of the older men stood up and thrust out his hand declaring, “Ma’am, pull up a chair, you sound more than qualified.” He added, “I’m George Willis, city manager. This here’s Sam. He’s in charge of the water, sewer, and parks.”

A grizzled old man next to him stood and shook Jane’s hand saying, “Ma’am, Sam Mason. Any help you can offer would be most welcome.”

Jane smiled warmly at the men and glancing at Agent Coulson sat down saying, “So fill me in. Where are you getting your water and power from and what can I do to help?”

Coulson left the three men vying for Jane’s attention as they walked her through the town’s power and water systems. He went to check in with his other teams, gratified to know that Jane seemed to have slipped seamlessly in place on the town’s public services team. 

Jane quickly learned the town faced some significant problems and but also had a few things going for it. The town’s water came from a reservoir high in the mountains. As long as it snowed they’d have water, so it wasn’t a concern. Power, on the other hand, was a problem they were scrambling to solve. The local power provider wasn’t answering the phone and while they still had power they had no idea how much longer that would continue. The men believed a fair share of the town’s power came from a small isolated dam, located in the backcountry. If that were the case and no one redirected the power being generated there, they could at least hope power would remain on. In the meantime, they were trying to locate all the power plants and distribution centers in the southwest region of the state in the hopes they could somehow find a way to keep them running. 

As the day wound down and locals left for their homes Darcy and Jane found one another in the command center. It was just occurring to them both that they had no idea what to do about dinner as they had been relying on Coulson for meals. They were discussing their options when the agent arrived looking dour. He began to say something but paused and glancing between the two women, relaxed his ridge posture slightly and formally invited them to dinner. Darcy was left with the vague impression Coulson wasn’t sure he wanted to go but had resigned himself to it. Unsure what say, she joined Jane in accepting his invitation and quietly followed him out of the command center, recognizing how tense and grim he was. The evening air was surprisingly brisk and as the threesome crunched through the fall leaves Darcy, trying to lighten the mood, said, “Did you know that recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado? There are warehouses full of pot up and down the entire valley. There’s enough weed around here for everyone to get high ten times over!”

Agent Coulson looked slightly stricken for a moment and then some of the tension he was carrying gave way. Amused despite himself he said drily, “Of course, you’d find out about the marijuana.”

“Hey! It’s not like I’m going to smoke it right now,” Darcy objected. She pouted and said with false outrage, “I have a legitimate reason to know. We can take over the greenhouses and grow vegetables. All we need are seeds.” Quickly getting over her indignation she good-naturedly informed him, “I have a green thumb. Or, I did when I helped my grandma in her garden when I was a kid. I think it would be fun, too. And, it would give people something to do too besides, you know, feeding us.”

“Fair enough,” Coulson conceded mildly, secretly enjoying Darcy’s exaggerated protest. The further he got from the command center and weight of his responsibilities the lighter he felt. Darcy’s attempt at humor was a welcome respite from the rest of his trying day. As they arrived at their table he added placidly, “We’d need to find a local building to use as I doubt we’ll be able to get out to the farms over the winter.”

“Yeah, we talked about that,” Darcy agreed enthusiastically. “The high school is way outside of town, but so are a bunch of homes and ranches. If we can keep the roads open that far out, we could get to the high school. There’s plenty of room there, even if SHIELD keeps using it to house the strike team. Though we’ll need to rethink what to do with the students,” Darcy readily explained as she took a seat next to the agent.

“I hadn’t heard of that solution yet. It might have some merit,” Coulson said thoughtfully. 

“It would be great if we could get fresh produce over the winter,” Jane added hopefully as she picked up her menu. 

“Well, it would take some time to get things growing but with grow lights it would go fast,” Darcy said assuredly, adding, “I think lettuce only takes a few weeks to grow. We could have a farm up and running in no time.” She smiled mischievously at Coulson and said, “We just need to get you some overalls and a pitchfork and you can be Old MacDonald!”

The agent glanced at Darcy, slowly warming under her gentle teasing and replied blithely, “Are you going to wear pigtails and be Ellie Mae?”

Caught off guard by Coulson’s unexpected rebuttal Darcy grinned in delight and exclaimed, “Did you just reference the Beverly Hillbillies?! Do I need to go find a cement pond to go skinny dipping?!” 

Coulson cleared his throat and looking down at his menu with the slightest pleased smirk said, “I may have.”

Darcy laughed, relieved and glad that the agent seemed to be unwinding. She smiled widely as the waitress came to take their order. 

Inevitably the group’s conversation steered toward what they had been working on that day and Jane was eager to share. “We might be in luck. There’s a solar farm in Alamosa, which is about 70 miles away. We might have to go there to harness the power directly, but I think it’s doable. I’d need time to figure it out though,” she explained hopefully as she looked down in consideration. “Otherwise, a quarter of the state’s power is generated by wind, so if we’re lucky that could support us too. It’s just a matter of distribution. It’s the coal and natural gas power plants I’m worried about. We don’t have the manpower or supplies to keep them running,” she said in concern as she fiddled with her silverware. 

Coulson frowned slightly and said pensively, “If things don’t work out we’ll have to go to the power plant in Pueblo to look at power distribution. It’s 190 miles one way. It’s not an option just yet, but we might need to consider it.”

Jane nodded in understanding, saying thoughtfully, “I could probably figure something out if I need to. I was hoping we might find someone who has experience with the electrical supply systems. It’s not just a matter of pushing a few buttons. I’d need some time to get my hands around everything if I have to do it myself.”

“We’ll give you all the support we can,” Coulson assured her.

Jane smiled gratefully and nodded in acknowledgment. That Coulson recognized her concerns was a comfort. After spending the day evaluating the town’s needs Jane was acutely aware of how vulnerable it was. She was unsure she could solve the problems before them, but thus far she was the closest thing they had to an expert so she knew she needed to find a way. It left Jane feeling shaky as the responsibility of keeping the town running was something she wasn’t prepared for or expected. 

After dinner was served Darcy quietly confided, “I think our other big problem is going to be keeping everyone fed.” She glanced at the two of them and elaborated, “The grocery store is working with the school and some of the restaurants. They’re talking about pooling all of the supplies and serving meals in mass at the elementary school. Tourists are running out of money and rescues can’t live on SHIELD’s MREs forever.” She frowned in consternation saying, “Someone has to go grocery shopping for 400 people.”

Coulson took a sip of water and casually shared, “The sheriff is considering organizing hunts. That could conceivably keep people fed for the winter.”

“True, but that’s a lot of meat. They’d need to start hunting now and we’d need to find people who can cut up all those animals. I know I can’t do it,” Darcy said concerned and obviously squeamish. 

“I’m sure the strike team could handle it,” Coulson said confidently. “Some of the ranches in the area will probably need to slaughter a portion of their herds as well. They won’t be able to take them to market and I doubt they’ll be able to keep them fed over the winter without gas to get out to the herds in the fields,” he explained.

“As long as I don’t have to cut stuff up I’m good,” Darcy said with a shudder. “The one thing we need is someplace to store all the meat. The grocery store’s freezer section will work for a while, but not for all of it.” She frowned and said petulantly, “I suggested just leaving it outside once it’s cold enough and the locals practically fell out of their chairs laughing at me. Apparently, we still need to worry about wild animals, even when it’s crazy cold.”

Coulson looked briefly incredulous by the idea and Darcy’s pique and he mildly suggested, “We can probably use the mines. There’s a mining museum at the edge of town. They’ve restored some of the tunnels leading into the mountain. I think we could probably store meat there. It’s bound to be cold enough, even now.”

“Mines? Wow, never would have thought of that. I’ll tell Agent Rivera tomorrow,” Darcy said with an impressed nod. Thoughtfully looking down at her dinner she pondered, “We’re still going to need groceries. There’s a lot of stuff people need you can’t grow or kill. Like toilet paper. You never think about where things come from until you personally have to find a way to get it for 400 people.” The reality of the situation kept returning to Darcy in waves as she accepted the truth and then purposefully pushed it away as her fear threatened to overwhelm her. Just talking about it made her lose her appetite which made her feel guilty because she now knew how precious food was. 

“We’ll find a way,” Coulson said confidently. “Given time, the sickness will run its course. We don’t know yet what will happen to the infected. Human beings can only live a week to ten days without food or water. Given enough time the infected will probably starve to death.”

“That’s horrible,” Darcy said appalled, adding ruefully, “But probably a good thing.” She frowned for a moment before saying in consternation, “Just as long as they don’t actually become zombies.” 

“They won’t become zombies. The infected die. They’re still human,” Coulson assured her. “So far I haven’t heard of any surviving being shot. They bleed just like we do,” he stated with certainty, grateful she didn’t have firsthand knowledge.

“As long as they don’t get back up,” Darcy said emphatically, reaching for the humor in the grim topic. 

“None have so far,” Coulson said drily.

“I know this is way too early but is anyone trying to figure out if there’s a cure?” Jane asked, looking at Coulson expectantly.

“If there is anyone left at the CDC they’re probably working on it,” Coulson replied indifferently, taking a sip of water. He went on to caution, “I wouldn’t count on a cure. It takes years for most vaccines to be developed – even if they can create one.”

“But if this is a virus it could just run its course like the flu or a cold,” Jane suggested hopefully. 

“It’s possible,” Coulson conceded skeptically. “With the speed the virus has spread there hasn’t been time to find out. As of right now, survival is paramount which means the infected are killed on sight to protect the rest of us,” the agent stated pragmatically, feeling it was important to be honest about how they were handling the situation. 

“That seems harsh,” Darcy objected in dismay, adding apprehensively, “I get it. But wow. Do they even know they’re sick?”

“All indications are once the infected become violent they are no longer rational. The incubation period can be difficult as the sick only become feverish at the very end. Most don’t know what’s happening to them,” Coulson shared pensively. With a pinched expression, he glanced down and shared in a low tone, “We’ve been discussing protocols and most agree it is more humane and cleaner to euthanize the infected before they become violent but that period of time is difficult to determine. I would hate to make a mistake. Letting the victim of an attack choose how they want to handle it is obviously the best option.” 

“Wow,” Darcy said shocked, quickly adding, “That makes sense. But, I really don’t want to be part of that decision-making process.”

Jane nodded adamantly saying, “I wouldn’t want to be the one making that call. Even though I know it needs to be made.”

Coulson stoically considered the two women before him and then signaled for the bill. He could appreciate their discomfort with how the infected were being treated. He, unfortunately, did not have the luxury of avoiding the topic, and Coulson wondered briefly if they had forgotten that he was the one making that difficult decision. While he was glad to shield them from the harsh realities of the sickness if he could, he still wanted them to be aware of the situation. But, Coulson had a feeling there were be plenty of difficult times ahead he wouldn’t be able to protect them from; this was one thing he could do. 

As they returned to their apartments Coulson was uneasy about letting them go. While the town seemed harmless, he was aware that desperate people often acted out and he had a pressing urge to protect the two women. Making a decision he cleared his throat and asked cautiously, “Can I ask you to stay in tonight? And, wait for me to pick you up tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah, sure,” Darcy answered questioningly as Jane murmured in agreement.

“Thank you. I don’t mean to scare you. But I think it would be best to be discrete for now. Things are likely to become difficult in the coming days,” Coulson confided. “Your positions with command should protect you some. But try to stay with SHEILD personnel as much as you can or locals that you know and you should be fine,” he reassured them adding, “In the meantime, let me get you some MREs. I’ll try to be available for dinner or have someone else meet you but just in case you should have something on hand.” 

As Coulson collected the MREs he was perplexed by his offer. He didn’t have time to escort the women everywhere, much less take them to dinner. Yet, he felt strongly it was something he wanted to do. Quickly committing himself he began to mentally shift his days around the pair’s expected schedule. Satisfied he could adjust to their timetable with only a few modifications to his own he returned to the women’s apartment.

Jane and Darcy looked after the retreating agent with disquiet settling over them. They were both beginning to understand the effort Coulson was making to take care of them. Neither expected it nor knew quite what to make of it. When the agent returned with boxes of breakfast and dinner MREs Jane said urgently, “Thank you for everything you’ve done Agent Coulson. If it weren’t for you we’d probably be dead right now.”

“Dr. Foster, you and Miss Lewis are part of SHIELD. You are the only civilian SHIELD personnel we were able to save. It is imperative you be protected,” Coulson said decisively, earnestly looking between the two women.

Caught off guard by how genuinely he seemed to care Jane faltered before repeating, “Still, thank you for everything.”

“She’s right. You’ve gone way above and beyond,” Darcy insisted solemnly. She gently took the MREs from him and asked with a soft hopeful smile, “Why don’t you have breakfast with us tomorrow morning? We’ll make coffee.”

Oddly touched Coulson said amiably, “I’d like that.” Stepping away, he nodded saying, “See you in the morning. Good night, Dr. Foster, Miss Lewis.”

“It’s Darcy! And Jane! – right, Jane?!” she said emphatically. 

“Yes, Agent Coulson, please call me Jane.”

“Very well. Good night, Jane, Darcy. Sleep well,” the agent said with a small pleased smile. 

With little else to do the women got ready for bed, luxuriating in their new snowflake covered long underwear. It had never been something Darcy had worn before but she had to agree with Jane, who had suggested it, that they were comfortable. The women crawled into bed and snuggled into their down comforter with tired sighs. After the past two days, they were each keenly aware of how very lucky they were. 

After a moment’s silence Jane asked puzzled, “Why do you think Agent Coulson is going to all this trouble?” 

“I don’t know,” Darcy said slowly as she considered the agent, shifting deeper into the covers. She too had been wondering what to make of the agent. “I think he probably knows you’re going to be important in keeping the town running. It’s not like there are many engineers running around.”

“Maybe,” Jane said with a dismissive shrug, adding, “But even if that were the case any SHIELD agent could have done what he did today.”

“Yeah,” Darcy hesitantly agreed. They were silent for a moment considering the man when she offered, “He seemed really upset about not being able to save any SHIELD civilians. I think that could be part of it. He has a leave no man behind vibe. He probably feels guilty.”

“True,” Jane conceded, immediately thinking of Erik and had to fight the tears that sprang up. The pair were quiet for a time before she said solemnly, “After today I understand what is going on. Or, at least some of it. I can’t imagine the pressure Agent Colson’s under. All these people relying on him to stay alive.”

Darcy turned toward Jane contemplating the situation before saying in consternation, “You never think something like this could actually happen. It only happens in movies.” She paused for a moment before adding hopefully, “Though, in the movies, there’s always some guy who steps up and takes charge.” She huffed and said mildly incredulous, “I sure hope Coulson’s the hero of the story because we really need him to be.” 

“Well, so far I haven’t seen anyone else stepping up,” Jane pointed out, adding in a positive tone, “And, everyone seems to really respect him at the command center.”

“Yeah. I got that too,” Darcy acknowledged. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have in charge. Coulson’s got this solid, steady presence I think most people respond to,” Darcy remarked thoughtfully as she considered that just having him around had been hugely reassuring. 

“Definitely,” Jane agreed as she turned to face Darcy observing, “He was the first person we thought of the other night. Actually, you thought of him first. I was still freaking out. I’m glad you did. I don’t know if we’d be alive right now if you hadn’t.”

“He was the only person I could think of. Who else do we know who could possibly explain what was going on?” Darcy questioned incredulously. “And, ever since SHIELD showed up he’s always been around. I figured if he didn’t know, we were on our own,” Darcy explained, turning to look up at the ceiling thinking about how terrified yet certain she had been when she called Coulson. Her gut told her he’d help them. She was sure of it. When he came over the line she remembered the intense sense of relief she had felt. Darcy knew he’d have the answers and when he had, she calmed and been able to focus on what he told her to do. She had faith he would be just as reliable in the future. 

Leaving Jane and Darcy for the evening Coulson returned to the command center to review reports from the many teams working to try to ensure the town’s survival. He hadn’t initially planned to go to dinner with them as he had too much to do. But, once he saw them he gave into to his sudden desire to escape command for a few hours. The previous day’s grim incidents weighed heavily on everyone and they had been revisiting their decisions as to who they should or even could rescue. Coulson knew he wasn’t personally responsible for anyone’s death, but the danger those unsuccessful rescues posed to everyone weighed on him heavily. 

Dinner had been a reminder as to why it was so important to protect what they already had. The short time he had spent with Jane and Darcy reinforced the question that had been nagging at him all day. Did they have any business trying to save anyone else? The resources they had were already overtaxed. And, there were two other military rescues operating who were likely better equipped to handle the situation. He had to concede it might be best to step back and let others handle the larger problem and instead concern himself with the more immediate needs of the community. Jane and Darcy brought that home to him over dinner as they gave him their perspective of what they needed to do to survive the winter. 

With those thoughts, Coulson settled in at his desk and began his night by reviewing their food inventory. He could already see Darcy’s hand in things as there was a uniformity to the reports. Pages were labeled and numbered and figures ran consistently across the page. The figures themselves were a larger concern and the more he took stock the further he leaned toward ending their search and rescue mission and instead focus on the community. He knew most people working in command would agree with his conclusion. However, his military training to save and protect conflicted with it. Yet he knew at some point good leaders had to make the hard decision to surrender when necessary. He thought they had reached that point.


	4. The Welcome Wagon to the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Jane go to work. Clint shows up. The community gathers for a meal. Coulson networks. Discord is sown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and being so generous with your time. Your brainstorming is invaluable!
> 
> For the record. Creede CO is a real place!

Waking early Darcy quickly got ready for the day reflecting on how much had changed in just a short time. Her current reality was surreal. On the surface it was pleasant. She and Jane were living in a nice apartment. They had new warm clothes and plenty of food. However, outside of the small town they were in, millions of people were dying. That was the grim truth. If there had been riots in major cities and if even a small isolated town like Puente Antiguo had been infected then the only rational conclusion was that most of the population was either sick or dead. And, if they weren’t they were holed up terrified and praying they’d survive. There was nothing Darcy could do except wait for the disease to kill the sick, which was horrifying when she gave it any thought. Everything about the situation was either terrifying or gut-wrenching. 

As Darcy made coffee a memory of her mother standing in the kitchen making coffee hit her. There was nothing special about the memory but she quickly felt her throat close and eyes burn as she took a shaky breath. She was forced to recognize that her parents were most likely gone. Taking off her glasses Darcy wiped her eyes as she breathed through her sudden despair. She resolutely focused on the present and pulled out some MREs for breakfast. As she counted the remaining 22 packages she anxiously wondered what they would do when they were gone. To distract from her troubling thoughts, Darcy turned on the TV out of habit and then out of curiosity began to flip through channels. After multiple dead channels, it was a shock to find a newscaster on the air. 

“Oh my god. Jane. Get in here,” Darcy called excitedly as she stood before the TV, stunned.

“What is it?” Jane asked, hurrying into the room only to stop in surprise.

Darcy gestured to the TV saying, “It’s out of Denver. They’re telling everyone to stay home because there are zombies in the streets.”

“Oh, wow. That’s good news. There are other survivors,” Jane said as she came to stand next to Darcy transfixed.

The pair startled when there was a knock at their door. Jane rushed to answer and greeted Agent Coulson excitedly exclaiming, “There’s a TV station in Denver still on the air. Darcy just found it.”

“Really?” Coulson said in surprise as he came to stand next to Darcy. “There wasn’t last we checked.”

“They said something about trying to organize a rescue, but they don’t know when or how because of the zombies,” Darcy said gesturing to the TV as the broadcaster repeated their warning to stay off the streets.

The agent seemed unusually reticent regarding the surprising news, which confused Darcy as she expected a more enthusiastic response. 

“This is good news isn’t it?” she asked, puzzled by the man’s demeanor. 

“Yes, it’s good news,” Coulson conceded seemingly detached.

“But?” Darcy prompted him.

The agent responded pensively, “I assumed there would be other survivors.” Coulson paused before adding reluctantly, “I hate to say this, but we’ll be competing for the remaining resources in the state, along with the military. It creates another challenge for us – long term.” He didn’t elaborate but he had been giving serious consideration to their future problems. At some point they would deplete the provisions they could find in the nearby towns. Coulson was determined their group would have the resources they needed, preferably by finding internal solutions, but if necessary by taking them. He could see the writing on the wall and the future was full of grim decisions. While he wanted the women to know the truth, he also didn’t feel it was necessary to go into detail. 

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Jane said weakly, looking back at the TV in consternation. 

“Denver’s a big city. They’ll have their hands full trying to help everyone there. We won’t receive assistance from them. Especially this winter,” Coulson explained gravely. He gave a slight shrug, brushing away the concern and said contemplatively, “If Denver does manage to organize a rescue chances are better that we’ll be able to keep the power on.”

“There are power plants outside of Denver,” Jane said excitedly, adding, “They can control distribution from there too I bet. We need to let them know we’re here, so they don’t cut us off.” Jane was giddy, suddenly hopeful there would be someone in Denver who could take care of power distribution across the state. If that were the case, it would solve innumerable problems. 

“My thoughts exactly,” Coulson said with a resolute nod. “Today we’ll try to contact whoever’s overseeing their rescue to let them know we’re here. In the meantime, we need someone to keep an eye on the station. It could help us track the virus or learn how they’re coping with it.”

“I saw a TV at headquarters,” Darcy offered. “We can leave it running while we work. Chances are we’ll catch anything that’s important. They said they’ll try to do updates at the top of the hour.”

“Good. Speak with Agent Rivera. He should be able to make arrangements,” Coulson directed.

Darcy nodded and retreated to the kitchen to gather their breakfast. She poured the agent a cup of coffee and said with a humorous smile, “Man, you better enjoy this.” Continuing to pour Jane a cup Darcy added regretfully, “We’ve got less than a pound of coffee left. I think we’re going to have to ration it. Maybe save it for special occasions. The room came with tea and hot cocoa too, which we’re going to have to use sparingly as well.”

“I can contribute my room’s supplies to the effort,” Coulson said with a wry tone, as he added some sugar to his coffee. 

“Cool. As much as it sucks to go without coffee the upside is when we do drink it we’ll actually feel the caffeine kick in,” Darcy said drolly. 

“There is that,” Coulson said laconically. 

As he drank his coffee, Coulson relaxed and enjoyed the easy camaraderie that Darcy and Jane offered. It had been a long time since he had shared his breakfast with anyone. However, he was unsettled by his impulsive decision to share his room’s supplies. While Coulson rarely followed rash inclinations, he seemed to be doing so when it came to Jane and Darcy. He appreciated spending time with the women as their warm friendly demeanors contrasted sharply with the current state of affairs and they had been a breath of fresh air since they had arrived. Sharing supplies was one way to guarantee an invitation to join them in the future. 

Over breakfast, Coulson was able to evaluate Jane and Darcy and he was relieved by what he saw. Both seemed calmer than they did the day before. More settled. He suspected their assignments at command gave them a purpose and a place to focus their thoughts. It was also possible that now that they had a better understanding of the situation they felt safer for the moment, knowing there was little chance of attack. The discovery of the TV station probably played into their mood as it was a hopeful development. For the moment Coulson was satisfied by what he saw. He knew as circumstances changed within the town, so too would their mood and sense of safety but for now, they were in as good as place as they could be. 

Taking a sip of coffee, Darcy glanced surreptitiously at Agent Coulson. She was disturbed by his evaluation of the survivors in Denver. She understood exactly what he meant about the town competing for resources. After the previous day’s review of the town’s food supplies she knew how much they had and a feeling for how quickly they’d deplete them. They had a limited window of time to find new resources before people started to go hungry. Even if the town were able to find provisions they wouldn’t last forever. They would have to continue to go further afield which would tap more of their limited resources such as gas. There would come a time when they would consume everything they could reach and then they would be truly desperate. Darcy was very aware they needed to find a way for the town to become self-sufficient as soon as possible. Trying to push away the fear that was creeping up on her Darcy smiled brightly and topped off everyone’s coffee. 

After breakfast, the threesome returned to the command center. The day was bright and clear, offering intense blue skies which contrasted sharply with the golden yellow aspen and cottonwoods. While the town’s higher elevation caused it to be cool it was obvious fall was there as they breathed in the fresh cold air and walked through fallen leaves. It was an uncomfortable reminder they were running out of time. Once it started to snow their situation would become dire. 

Darcy struggled to come up with something to say to maintain the friendly atmosphere they had enjoyed over breakfast, but couldn’t find anything that wouldn’t sound trite. Her knowledge of the town’s precarious situation weighed on her, dampening her normal high spirits. Uncertain what to say, Darcy kept her peace and considered Agent Coulson. From appearances he was an unremarkable man, yet once in his presence his solid reliability shown through. It was immensely reassuring. 

Contemplating her morning, Darcy resigned herself to working on spreadsheets, while the supply team got involved in the community. They were going to begin organizing people to start cooking at the elementary school. And, word would also need to get out to the community that meals would be served there from now on. Darcy hoped the process went smoothly but worried that the change would cause the population to start panicking. Team members had voiced such concerns the day before but had no solutions other than to try to incorporate people into the process to reassure them that there was enough food to go around. 

Coulson too was thinking about resources and planned to reach out to the local ranchers to discuss herd management. He hoped it was possible to stagger the slaughtering of the herds through the winter. He also needed to ask the sheriff’s department to organize some locals to begin hunting. Coulson wanted to include the strike team in that effort but was leery as the men were not known for being tactful, which was needed right then. Instead, he considered sending them on reconnaissance to evaluate the area towns. He needed to know when they could expect the disease to run its course as they needed to gather supplies as soon as possible. The probability that the team would find more survivors crossed his mind as well and he gave thought as to how they would now handle the situation. 

Jane was contemplating how soon they might be able to communicate with Denver and to somehow resolve their power problem. If they weren’t able to reach anyone, she wondered if there was a way for them to hack into the power company’s computer systems. Jane was willing to bet that once she had access she could reach large segments of their power grid. She hoped at least. In the meantime, Jane planned to learn everything she could about solar power, as she had a feeling she’d be making a trip to Alamosa’s solar farm very soon.  


Arriving at the command center, the three split to go to their respective offices, each quietly hopeful, yet worried about what their day would bring. Darcy immediately set up the TV and just about everyone in the command center stopped by over the next few hours to marvel at how a TV station was still up and running. It energized people to see something so positive considering their desperate situation and they returned to their duties with renewed vigor.

It was a busy morning for Coulson as he immediately met with the command team and all agreed they could no longer conduct search and rescues in light of their recent failures. While they were all regretful they also had to recognize that they were putting everyone in jeopardy every time they brought in someone new. That they had had so many near breaches of quarantine had shaken everyone and no one wanted to re-experience the fear the previous days had brought. Another factor in making that decision was their resources were stretched past the breaking point already. They all agreed if someone sought shelter they would provide it but they were no longer actively looking for survivors. Grim though that decision was Coulson believed it was the right one. 

The rest of the morning Coulson attempted to reach out to the other rescues. He wasn’t able to locate a command structure related to the TV station and suspected it was the product of a few lone survivors. Eventually, he settled for emailing the TV station’s general email and hoped for the best. In the meantime, Coulson contacted the commanders of the other two rescue efforts to notify them of the development. He also requested they conference soon about their mutual future power problem. Lastly, he informed them SHIELD and the town of Creede would no longer be actively participating in the search and rescue effort. 

After spending a few hours on data entry and merging spreadsheets Darcy took a mid-morning break and went down the hall to the small kitchen to get a glass of water. She was just turning away from the sink when one of the strike team casually leaned against the door frame, effectively trapping her in the tiny room. Immediately uneasy Darcy stepped back toward the sink and shifted uncomfortably under the soldier’s not so subtle perusal. 

“Hi there,” the man said in a warm yet suggestive tone. “It’s good to see a pretty thing like you wasn’t infected. I would have hated to kill you,” he added with a sarcastic smirk.

Appalled Darcy didn’t respond which apparently wasn’t a problem because the soldier immediately held out his hand saying, “Brock Rumlow.” 

Darcy faltered for a moment before she responded and introduced herself. She edged back to lean up against the kitchen counter anxiously wishing she could get away from him as something about the man was unnerving. 

“Darcy. Good to meet you. What do they have you doing around here? There isn’t any coffee to make,” he joked, clearly thinking he was charming.

Annoyance overruled the fear and intimidation she was feeling and Darcy scuffed saying, “I can do more than make coffee. I’m helping just like everyone else.” 

Rumlow dismissively laughed off her disgruntlement as he put up his hands saying, “Whoa. Just playing with you a little bit. No need for attitude.” 

Fury flashed through Darcy and she said angrily, “I’m not here for you to play with.”

“Is there a problem here?” a firm clipped voice asked from behind Rumlow. 

Rumlow immediately stepped further into the kitchen and away from the entrance to find Coulson was standing directing behind him. Rumlow took on a more formal stance and said, “No problem, sir. Just getting to know Darcy here. She’s new in town.”

“I see. Miss Lewis, I believe Agent Rivera is looking for you,” Coulson said coolly, eyes flicking between the two standing stiffly before him.  


“Oh. Ok. Thanks,” Darcy said, before scuttling around Rumlow and slipping by Coulson, who stepped back from the doorway to let her through. As she passed Darcy glanced at him clearly glad for the save and he gave her a miniscule nod in acknowledgment.

As she returned to the team’s office Darcy shuddered, feeling as if she had just had a near miss. Rumlow made her skin crawl. She remembered him from the night the strike team rescued them as he was one of the soldiers who never once lowered his gun. His manner didn’t leave her feeling any better about him. Darcy fervently hoped she could avoid him in the future as something about him deeply disturbed her. She was just glad Coulson had shown up when he had as she had feeling Rumlow would not have taken her rejection well.  


Silence reigned in the kitchen after Darcy slipped away. Coulson struggled with his desire to admonish Rumlow for harassing her. Yet, he knew it wasn’t the right call. He needed to work with the man, not alienate him. Instead, Coulson nodded at the Rumlow and said as he stepped into the kitchen to get a glass of water, “It’s time the team bring the rest of the supplies at the mine over to the high school. It’d be best to do it before it starts to snow.”

Rumlow’s stiff posture released minutely as he realized he wasn’t going to be reprimanded and said readily, “We’ll get right on that, sir.” With a respectful nod, he stalked out of the kitchen.

Coulson watched the man go and taking a sip of his water, returned to his desk. He was vaguely unsettled with how intensely protective he felt toward Darcy. Once he heard her tone of voice Coulson knew there was a problem, and seeing Rumlow he knew exactly what it was. Rumlow had never been subtle and Darcy wasn’t necessarily known for her tact. Coulson recognized Darcy had been put in a defensive position from the get-go, as she was trapped in the kitchen by a man that emanated aggression. Add in whatever suggestive or insulting comment Rumlow had most likely made and it was a powder keg waiting to explode. Not that he blamed Darcy. Coulson was glad to see she could stand up for herself; he didn’t expect anything less. 

However, it bothered him that Darcy had been put in that position, to begin with. None of his men should be behaving in a manner that made anyone uncomfortable, especially a woman. He made a mental note to remind all SHIELD agents at their next meeting of appropriate behavior when interacting with civilians. Trying to dismiss the disquiet he felt about the scene he had just witnessed Coulson returned to work, mentally shuffling priorities so he would have time to go to dinner later with Jane and Darcy. 

 

“Darcy?” a male voice said, breaking the silence. 

Looking up from her computer Darcy was ready to answer when she caught sight of the man standing in the office doorway. For a split second, she thought he was from the strike team as he had a rugged build and was clad in all black but then she recognized him. It took her another second to place him. He had been one of the agents that had been in Puente Antiguo when Thor landed. She raised a puzzled eyebrow and answered cautiously, “Yeah?”

“Hey. I’m Clint,” the man said as he walked into the room and dropped a brown paper bag on the table next to Darcy’s desk saying abruptly, “So I brought lunch. Your choices are turkey on wheat or ham on white. Mayo, no mustard.”

“You brought me lunch?” Darcy asked in surprise. 

“Yeah. Coulson has a meeting with a bunch of ranchers,” Clint explained indifferently as he fell into a chair and began to dig into the paper bag.

“Ok?” Darcy said, not sure what Coulson’s meeting with ranchers had to do with the man bringing her lunch.

“So turkey or ham?” Clint asked holding a sandwich in each hand.

“Turkey, I guess.”

“Cool. I wanted the ham,” he said as he handed her a sandwich.

As Darcy unwrapped her sandwich she surreptitiously evaluated her lunch companion. Feeling he was probably harmless, she said, “Not that I’m not grateful. Because I’d rather eat a sandwich than an MRE but why are you bringing me lunch?” She didn’t know what to think about his sudden arrival. Clint had a careless unassuming presence which was perplexing as he didn’t have the serious air agents in command had. Nor did he have the aggressive demeanor of the strike team. 

“Coulson didn’t mention me?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m joining your supply team,” Clint responded unconcerned as he ate his sandwich. 

“Oh, well welcome,” Darcy said uncertainly, adding, “No one else is here right now. They’re all either out moving supplies to the elementary school or cooking.”

“You’re not?”

“I was going to but everyone wants me to finish inventory first,” she explained gesturing to her computer.

“Fun?” Clint asked cynically, clearly not expecting a positive answer.

“Not what I would normally call fun, no,” Darcy responded sarcastically. Clint nodded in response and continued to eat his sandwich. 

Curious Darcy asked, “So what is it you do Clint, Agent of SHIELD?”

“Me? I do a lot of things. But mostly I shoot arrows,” he responded matter of fact.

“As in bow and arrows?” Darcy stated with mild disbelief.

“Yep.”

“What do you do with a bow and arrows?” Darcy asked incredulously.

“Yesterday, I shot a 10 point buck,” Clint state nonchalantly.

“Oh, wow. What did you do with it?” Darcy asked in surprise, pausing in eating her sandwich, not having expected his answer. 

“Dropped it off at the grocery store. The guy there is taking care of it. We should have venison tonight for dinner.”

“I’ve never had venison,” Darcy said as she considered the agent further.

“It’s good. Sometimes it can be a little gamey. Depends on what the deer eats,” Clint shared with a shrug.

“What?” Darcy asked perplexed. 

“Yeah. If it eats a lot of sage or pine needles can taste sharp – gamey. But like, if you shoot a deer in the Midwest they eat a lot of corn and stuff from the fields, so they taste smoother,” Clint explained affably.

“You know a lot about deer?” Darcy asked, trying to get a handle on the conversation, surprised by its unexpected direction.

“I guess. I’ve done my share of hunting.” 

Darcy didn’t know what to make of the archer who was sitting backward on a chair across from her nonchalantly eating a sandwich and telling her about the flavor of venison. He seemed harmless. He wasn’t sending up the red flags Rumlow had earlier that morning. She was certain he hadn’t been part of the strike team that rescued them. That Coulson apparently sent him was also another point in his favor.

“Oh hey. Coulson asked me to give you this,” Clint said pulling a phone out of his jacket and putting it down on the edge of her desk.

Darcy glanced at it and then at him in surprise saying, “Coulson asked you to give me a phone?” 

“Yeah. Said you lost yours?”

“Oh. Yeah. I left it in New Mexico,” Darcy acknowledged, surprised Coulson had noticed. 

“Well, there you go. Now you have a phone. I put my number in there. Coulson’s too,” Clint said. 

“Cool,” Darcy said, puzzled by the archer and receiving a phone, but glad nonetheless to have it. It had felt odd not having one with her, even if it wasn’t exactly like she was getting social media updates.

Clint finished up his sandwich and threw the ball of wrapping across the room into the wastebasket. 

Impressed, Darcy smiled and said, “Nice shot.”

Clint shrugged dismissively and said, “So I guess I should go over the school to see if they need help. That’s where the team is right?”

“That’s where everyone is, yeah.”

“Ok, well. We should do lunch again sometime,” Clint said as he got up to leave. At the doorway he turned back to her and said matter of fact, “Hey, if you ever need help, with anything - call me. I’ll probably be around. I live in your building.”

“Ok?” Darcy responded, unsure what to make of his offer but she quickly rallied saying, “Thanks for the sandwich.”

“Sure thing,” the archer said with a shrug as he strolled out of the room.

Darcy sat looking after him in confusion not sure what to make of the last few minutes. She was grateful for the sandwich and the conversation had been entertaining to some extent. He had a nice friendly manner that was reassuring after how abrasive Rumlow had been. Darcy decided she liked Clint, as slightly peculiar as he seemed to be. 

 

Coulson had just left a productive meeting with the area ranchers when his phone rang. He answered quickly, “Coulson.”

“Hey. I dropped the phone off. Strike is up at the mine for the rest of the day so she should be fine. I’m heading over to the school to see if they need help,” Clint said.

“Thank you, Barton.”

“Sure. No problem. Seems like a nice kid. I’ll keep an eye on Rumlow,” the agent replied.

“I understand you brought in a buck for dinner tonight,” Coulson said.

“It was a beauty. Should taste good, too. See you there later?”

“I should be there.”

A small unexpected sense of relief swept through Coulson knowing that the strike team would be away the rest of the day and that Darcy now had a phone. He knew a phone offered only limited protection but Coulson felt better knowing Darcy had the means to call for help if needed. Unsettled by the unforeseen feeling Coulson brushed it off and got on with his day. 

The ranchers had thankfully agreed to the slaughter of a portion of their herds over the coming months. They were all reasonable men who recognized the situation for what it was without Coulson needing argue on the town’s behalf. They also provided Coulson with a better, somewhat reassuring perspective of the region’s usual winter weather. Apparently, while the area received snow early, it was rarely heavy or even lasted long on the ground for at least the first few weeks of winter. Minus freak fall blizzards the valley could easily reach December before it received significant snowfall. However, when it began it would be heavy snow that would stay until spring as the area was notorious for receiving the some of the heaviest snowfalls in the state. 

Relieved that they might have a few extra weeks to gather supplies Coulson settled in to evaluate the list of potential sources in area towns. The San Luis Valley was below them to the east which was known for potatoes, grains, and vegetables. There were a number of potato farms in easy distance and he hoped they would still have some of their crop on hand. Coulson was also hopeful they might find a surplus of vegetable seeds if reports of area produce growers were accurate. Although he had to acknowledge as it was off-season it might make that task more difficult. But Coulson was determined they pursue all avenues if they had any hope of becoming self-sufficient. 

With that in mind, Coulson decided it would be best to send the strike team to the marijuana greenhouses as soon as possible. They were less likely to find anyone infected there and thus the facilities were more easily evaluated directly. The team could bring in planting supplies so the town could begin setting up the high school as a greenhouse. They needed everything in place so that when they found seeds they could begin planting immediately. Setting that plan aside for the local sheriff’s input Coulson turned to review the area map for further resources. 

Again Coulson decided to ask the sheriff for input on a reconnaissance plan for the strike team. Based on the man’s knowledge of the area he would be best suited to direct the mission, while they evaluated the situation from the air. Not only would the plan serve the town’s needs it would keep the strike team busy and remove them from town on a daily basis. Coulson was well aware Rumlow could be trouble and could easily lead the rest of the team into mutiny if the situation turned truly dire. He hoped it wouldn’t happen as the town needed the team’s skills. Coulson thought it was best to keep Rumlow busy and focused on gathering supplies to ward off future problems. 

Dusk was just beginning to set when Darcy finally finished the town’s complete inventory. She incorporated all of the information SHIELD agents from other teams had been sending her throughout the day. She had wanted to get over to the elementary school to help but felt obligated to finish the entire project first. It was with a sense of accomplishment she emailed Coulson and the rest of the team leaders, knowing it would simplify things for everyone to have all the information they needed in one document. 

Stretching, Darcy picked up her coat and went down the hall to collect Jane to walk over to the elementary school for dinner. She found her hunched over a desk, intently reading something on a laptop, mumbling to herself as she took notes. Darcy immediately recognized Jane was deep into research mode. Glancing at the other occupants in the room she arched a brow and asked skeptically, “Did Jane eat lunch?”

Agent Nicholson looked stricken for a moment before saying guiltily, “No. We tried to get her to come with us. But she’s been reading all day.”

Darcy nodded in understanding as the agent would have no way of knowing how to handle Jane when she got wrapped up in research. Turning to Jane she said, “Come on, Jane. We’re going to dinner.”

“I’m busy,” Jane grumbled, not looking away from her computer. 

“I can see that. But now you’re going to go eat dinner,” Darcy argued, walking over to pick up Jane’s jacket. She leaned over Jane’s shoulder and gently nudged her, trying to coax her along, “Come on. You and these nice men can eat dinner and talk about everything you learned today. Won’t that be nice?”

Jane shrugged Darcy off and not looking away from the screen she was studying said reproachfully, “You’re being patronizing on purpose because you know I hate it when you do that.” 

Unperturbed at being brushed off Darcy acknowledge her saying, “You know it. Now, come on.”

Turning to the gentlemen who were gathering their coats Darcy said, “Hi. Sorry. I should have introduced myself. I’m Darcy Lewis. I’ve been working on inventory reports.” 

One of the local men smiled at Darcy as he put on his coat saying, “George Willis, city manager. Glad you’re here. Last I saw the inventory reports they were a mess. We could have used you last month during the town audit. That was a nightmare.”

“I’m glad to help,” Darcy said with a warm smile, already liking the man.

“Sam Mason,” a grizzled older man said, reaching over to shake her hand. He glanced over at Jane and said, “We’ve been studying solar energy all day. It’s fascinating. Jane thinks we’ll be able to take over the Alamosa solar farm.”

“Cool. If you guys can keep the power on I’m all for it,” Darcy responded. Turning to Jane she raised her voice slightly and said insistently, “But, you aren’t going to figure it out tonight. So we’re going to dinner. Come on, Jane.”

“Fine,” the scientist said grumpily, finally looking up from her computer. She had two pencils in her hair and a pen smudge on her cheek.

Darcy smiled and fondly informed her, “Pen smudge. Left side, 3 o’clock. And two pencils.”

“Oh!” Jane exclaimed as she started pulling at her hair while rubbing her right cheek. 

Entertained the men watched as Jane tried to pull herself together. Mildly amused Darcy tsked, saying affectionately, “Other cheek Jane. I can see I’m going to need to check on you if you’re going to be in research mode.”

“I need to know everything I can about solar power so when I get to Alamosa I can figure out their system,” Jane excitedly explained as she took the coat Darcy held out. “You wouldn’t believe how much information is online. The plant even has its own Wikipedia page. I think we’re really going to be able to do this. I just need to get there.”

“Awesome. Coulson will be thrilled to hear it. Now let’s go tell him,” Darcy said as she led the group down the hall.

Stopping at the entrance of Coulson’s office Darcy frowned in concern upon seeing his creased brow, and stiff posture. He was staring intently at his laptop and looked like he sorely needed a break. She knocked on the edge of the doorway and brightly proclaimed, “Hey you! Time for dinner!” 

Coulson glanced her way and then slowly sat back and exhaled tiredly saying, “Good evening, Miss Lewis. I received your inventory report. I appreciate you incorporating all the other team’s supplies into one document.”

Darcy preened under his praise saying, “I thought it made more sense to have everything in one place.” Sensing he might want to keep working she tried to persuade him to leave saying, “I’ve heard we’re having venison for dinner tonight. Get your coat, you don’t want to miss it. ”

Coulson looked down at his computer, clearly torn and glanced back at Darcy and the group standing in the hall behind her before nodding and saying decisively, “I’m coming.”

“Good. I was worried I was going to have to start shutting off lights and unplugging things,” Darcy commented in a teasing tone.

“Excuse me?” Coulson asked in confusion as he got up to put on his coat. 

“You don’t want her to do that. Trust me,” Jane said petulantly, peeking around Darcy. “Once your computer dies, she won’t let you plug it back in to recharge until you eat a meal and get six hours of sleep,” Jane sulked.

Darcy grinned at the pouting scientist and said triumphantly, “You ate and slept and were better for it because you had a breakthrough when you woke up, right?”

“I hate it when she’s right,” Jane grumbled to the men standing at her shoulder.

“I see,” Coulson said as he joined the group, clearly not planning to ask for clarification. He was mildly amused that Darcy thought he would be as easily managed as the absentminded scientist. Coulson also had to acknowledge a part of him was warmed to know Darcy thought he warranted her good-natured caretaking skills. 

In route to the elementary school, Jane and the service team immediately fell into talking about what they had learned over the day. Darcy and Coulson quietly brought up the rear. 

Turning to Coulson Darcy said appreciatively, “Thank you for the phone. It’s nice to have one again, even if I don’t have many people to call.”

“I have a feeling you’ll need it to communicate with the team. And, you won’t always be with Jane,” Coulson explained placidly adding, “I take it then you met Agent Barton?”

“If you mean Clint, yes, he brought me lunch,” Darcy responded, clearly perplexed. She paused for a moment and then said incredulously, “I have to ask, what does SHIELD need with a guy who uses a bow and arrow?” 

Immediately relaxing at her lighthearted tone Coulson responded in kind saying, “Oh, you’d be surprised. All SHIELD agents have an unusual skill or two that are useful.”

Darcy grinned, delighted to see Coulson was leaving his somber side back at the office and asked mischievously, “Oh yeah? So what’s your unusual yet useful skill Agent Coulson?”

“You’ll have to wait and see Miss Lewis,” Coulson snarked, entertained by the young woman walking at his side. He glanced down at Darcy with an appreciative look, heartened that she seemed in a playful mood, which he interpreted to mean she had a good day. Coulson felt the tightness in his chest relax as some of his worry dissipated. Somehow Darcy teasing him allowed him to breathe easier. 

Arriving at the elementary school, the group joined a short line streaming out the front door. Word had obviously gotten out that dinner would be served and Darcy was glad to see spirits seemed high. People were standing calmly talking to their neighbors, unbothered by the cool evening air. In just a short time the group was filling their plates and looking for a place to sit in the crowded cafeteria. 

As they made their way to their seats, the newcomers were repeatedly waylaid by local residents they had been working with and were introduce to family and friends. It created a friendly, welcoming atmosphere that eased some of Darcy’s concern that the decision to serve community meals would cause panic. Instead, the evening seemed to be couched as an opportunity to gather as a community. Darcy was also comforted to see Coulson brighten as he cordially greeted people. While still taciturn, his demeanor was open and friendly, and she found it reassuring he so easily melded with the community. 

Coulson was gratified to see how many local people already knew him in just a few short busy days. It was also encouraging to see that Jane and Darcy’s coworkers had taken them under their wing and were introducing them to the community. Familiarity was protective; which would lead to strong working relationships and respect. Coulson was hopeful that the welcoming sentiment would help build bridges so that when difficulties arose they would help hold the community together. He was confident that the evening would be a bonding experience as a community was built around shared experiences such as meals and camaraderie. 

Once Darcy finished her meal, she excused herself to see if the kitchen needed help. She found there were more than enough helpers and that a new team had been created. The cooking team grew out of their old supply team and was made up of the school cooks and a few chefs from local restaurants. All were in attendance on what was essentially opening night. They were excited to be cooking for the town and were already discussing plans for future meals. Darcy was energized by the group’s enthusiasm and relieved to see how smoothly everything was going.

Stepping around the line to return to her table Darcy slammed into someone. She bounced off the man’s chest, flailing a bit and he grabbed her arm to steady her as he held on to his dinner tray with the other. Momentarily stunned it took a second for Darcy to recognize it was Rumlow she had run into. While Darcy was getting her bearings Rumlow grinned down at her and said, “Hey, if you want to have dinner I’m up for it. But there’s no rush, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere.”

Disturbed to feel Rumlow had wrapped his hand all the way around her arm, Darcy had to pull away twice to get him to release her. Feeling shaken and slightly humiliated, and not wanting to make a scene, Darcy wrapped her arms around herself and tried to slip past him quietly saying, “Excuse me.” 

Rumlow quickly stepped to the side to stop her and leaning over Darcy said with his tone saccharin laced, “Where are you going? I thought we were talking?”

Darcy ducked her head and tried to step around him again only to be cut off once more. In the meantime, the rest of the strike team had left the serving line and gathered around them, quietly egging Rumlow on. Darcy halted, realizing she was eye level with his chest and beginning to feel scared she looked up and said determinedly, “I’d like to get by.”

Rumlow grinned down at her, and chided her good-naturedly, “Oh, don’t be that way. Why don’t you come have dinner with me and the guys?” 

Darcy glanced at the men, one of whom winked at her, as they all looked on expectantly. Feeling overpowered and intimidated Darcy stepped back trying to put more space between her and Rumlow. Lifting her chin she said heatedly, “I’ve had dinner. Now I’d like to get back to my friends.”

Rumlow’s grin faded and he scowled at her. He sneered and stepped aside as he broadly gestured for her to go by, saying under his breath, “Bitch.”

Darcy faltered hearing his derogatory comment but threw back her shoulders and held her head high as she marched past the wall of formidable soldiers. Feeling more than a little shaken Darcy slid into a seat at the edge of the group with a tight smile. Pretending to listen to the discussion about power distribution, she kept a surreptitious eye on Rumlow and the rest of his team. She apprehensively watched as the group scoped out the cafeteria and found their way over to a group of teenagers that had a number of younger women in it. The men immediately began talking to the young people, clearly trying to integrate with the group. Glancing away and down to her hands Darcy was at a loss as to know what to do. She wanted to warn the young women but knew it wasn’t the time or place. Just then Coulson sat down next to her and said in a low worried voice, “Darcy?”

She looked up at him, trying to be welcoming and meeting his serious expression and concerned eyes offered him a small forced smile in acknowledgment. He glanced around the room and asked quietly, “What’s wrong?” As soon as Coulson had seen how closed off and subdued Darcy was as she sat down he knew there was a problem. He didn’t examine why he felt the need to immediately check in with her; he just followed his gut, sure it was the right thing to do. 

For a moment Darcy considered brushing Coulson’s concern aside but decided something needed to be said. Trusting he would understand she subtly nodded in the strike team’s direction saying, “Do you think it’s a good idea for them to be talking to those kids?”  


Darcy didn’t elaborate, hoping Coulson would see what she did. Three of the young women in the group of teens were clearly underage and a few others were likely to be as well, but it was more difficult to tell. She had some concerns for the boys too as they seemed just as enamored of the soldiers as well. 

Coulson glanced in the direction Darcy was indicating and took in the group, immediately recognizing her concerns. He frowned and subtly nodded his head in understanding. He glanced around the room and then quietly said, “I’ll take care of it.” 

Standing, Coulson made his way over to a group of men and women and after speaking for a moment, one of them led him over to the group of teenagers. The strike team immediately took notice of Coulson’s arrival, their posture subtly shifting, becoming less relaxed. The man Coulson was with introduced him to the kids and they initiated some light banter. Coulson glanced at the strike team and the group applied themselves to finishing their meal as he stood over them talking with the teenagers. Little by little the men drifted away to drop their trays in the kitchen and disappeared into the crowds. Rumlow was the last to leave and as he departed he nodded at Coulson and said in a curt aggressive tone, “Sir.” 

Impressed with how deftly Coulson had handled the situation, Darcy relaxed marginally and tuned back into what Jane and the others were discussing. She kept an eye on Coulson as he continued to make his way around the room speaking with one group after another, clearly networking. At one point Coulson stopped at a table clearly made up of tourists to introduce himself and appeared to be offering reassurances that were eagerly received. Glad to know Coulson had the situation well in hand Darcy breathed a little easier knowing the night could easily be counted as a success. 

As Coulson met with the populace, he quickly learned just about everyone had more than one occupation. Apparently, it was necessary to keep the small town afloat. The ranchers he met earlier in the day were also the principle of schools, county judge, county prosecutor, and town doctor. School teachers and city employees owned bed & breakfasts, restaurants or local shops. The only other attorney in town operated an ATV rental shop and his wife was the town’s lone computer tech. One of the pastors owned the auto repair shop in town, while another provided guide services to trout fishermen, and his wife was a nurse. Inevitably as Coulson met people he quickly realized the local population overlapped into multiple facets of the town. The close network of people made it simple for Coulson to identify who to turn to begin organizing the town for long-term survival. 

As the meal was wrapping up, Coulson made his way back into the kitchen to meet Agent Rivera and his new team of cooks and helpers. Everyone was in high spirits but he had concerns about their ability to staff the kitchen and cafeteria without a significant increase in volunteers. The team had set an ambitious schedule, but one that was necessary to accommodate the entire town. Discussing the situation with those present Coulson was reassured they had the manpower available to cover the next few days. But all agreed they needed to canvas the town for more volunteers. Encouraging them to recruit from friends and family he assured them the problem would be more broadly addressed soon. 

Returning to the cafeteria in search of the mayor to discuss arranging a community meeting, Coulson observed Darcy and was concerned there was more to her quiet, closed demeanor than strike’s involvement with the local teenagers. With a nod of his head, Clint caught Coulson’s eye and he indicated he wanted to speak to him. Surprised, Coulson stepped off to the side of the cafeteria and as he watched over the many groups chatting he bowed his head to listen. 

“Darcy had a run in with Rumlow tonight. Literally, ran right into the guy. She handled it before I could get there but from what I could see it wasn’t pretty. The team had his back so she was outnumbered and cornered,” Clint said lowly, getting quickly to the point.

Coulson glanced over at Clint in concern and then out over the crowd to locate Darcy, saying lowly, “She’s been unusually quiet.”

“Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t cut it off the pass. One minute she was in the kitchen and the next – well, I didn’t expect the team to show up for dinner, so I wasn’t watching for Rumlow. I guess they’re getting sick of MREs just like everyone else,” the archer explained regretfully. 

“Yes, most likely. Thank you for letting me know. If you could continue to keep an eye on her and Dr. Foster? I’ll speak with the team tomorrow,” Coulson answered solemnly. 

As they spoke they watched as Jane and Darcy’s group began to depart. Clint glanced at Coulson and taking in how busy the room still was said, “Want me to walk them home?”

“If you could? I’d appreciate it,” Coulson said with a nod of acknowledgment before stepping away to speak with the mayor. 

As their group prepared to leave, Darcy glanced at Coulson and recognizing he was still busy, followed Jane out of the cafeteria. The women had barely gotten out the front door of the school when Clint skidded to a halt next to them and said with a grin, “Oh hey. I’m headed back too. I’ll walk with you.”

“Ok,” Darcy said slowly. Glancing at Jane she introduced him saying, “This is Agent Barton. He’s why we had venison for dinner. Apparently, he’s a great hunter.”

“I don’t know about that. It wasn’t like it was a bear. And, it’s just Clint,” he said good-naturedly.

“I liked it. I’d never had venison until tonight,” Jane said.

“Yeah? Good to hear. Chances are we’re going to be eating a lot of it. I’m going to try for an elk next. Heard they’re pretty good too,” Clint readily shared, adding questioningly, “So Jane what does Coulson have you doing? I thought you were a star doctor?”

Taken by surprise by his description Jane laughed saying, “Well, I’m an astrophysicist. But right now I’m helping with utilities.”

“Cool. I think I speak for everyone when I say, please keep the lights on.”

“That’s the idea,” Jane confirmed confidently.

Fall leaves crunched beneath their feet as they returned to the complex. The air was cold and the night sky was clear and it felt like you could touch the stars. Looking up Darcy marveled, “Is it just me or do the stars seem closer here?”

“Well, we are a mile and half up,” Clint commented, looking up to take in the view.

“What?” Jane said surprised.

“The elevation is almost 9,000 feet. That’s why it’s cold already. Fall comes earlier in the higher elevations.”

“I had wondered. It did seem early for the trees to be changing,” Jane commented.

“Yesterday the team was talking about fall blizzards. Apparently, that can happen,” Darcy said incredulously.

“No,” Jane said horrified.

“Oh yeah. We could see snow any day now. The peaks have already had some. But, I wouldn’t worry about it. Chances are the next day it will be in the 50s and it will all melt. We won’t have to worry about real, long-term snow for another month or two,” Clint said, unconcerned.

“I can’t imagine snow this early,” Jane said dismayed, adding worriedly, “We’re not ready yet.”

“No, we’re not,” Clint conceded adding confidently, “But we will be. The sheriff is sending out guys to hunt starting tomorrow. And, Coulson was talking about sending strike out do some reconnaissance, so we should be able to get out to gather supplies soon.”

“I need to get to the solar farm as soon as possible,” Jane said earnestly.

“We’ll get you there,” Clint assured her.

As they approached the complex Clint awkwardly said, “Hey listen, if you guys ever need anything or have trouble with anyone let me know alright?”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked confused.

“Well, the strike team isn’t known for its social graces. And, there could be a backlash from the locals. They might start to feel like SHIELD has taken over and you’re part of SHIELD so…” Clint said evasively. 

Understanding dawning Jane said unworriedly, “Well, so far everyone has been really nice. I haven’t had any problems, have you, Darcy?”

Darcy hesitated before saying, “The locals have been great. No complaints there. I don’t have much good to say about the strike team though.”

“What? Did they do something?” Jane asked worriedly turning to her in surprise.

“I had a run in with one. He was a jerk. I was going to tell you to stay away from them,” Darcy explained dismissively.

“Yeah, I saw you with Rumlow. He’s a piece of work. But you handled it,” Clint said admiration shading his tone.

“I just hope he leaves me alone,” Darcy huffed indignantly. 

“Well, if he doesn’t, tell me. There’s no reason for you to put up with his crap. Or anyone else’s,” Cliff gruffly directed.

Darcy shrugged saying in frustration, “I don’t know what you can do about it. Guys are going to be jerks.”

“There’s plenty I can do about it,” Clint growled lowly, adding insistently, “No one should make you feel uncomfortable, particularly not a SHIELD agent. He should know better.”

“Well, hopefully after tonight he got the message. I was pretty clear,” Darcy said with certainty. 

“Fair enough,” Clint replied easily as they walked up the steps to the complex. He held the door saying, “If you guys ever do need me I’m in room 2 with five other agents. Someone will probably be around; nights at least. And, Darcy you have my number.”

“Yeah, I do. Thanks,” Darcy nodded in acknowledgment, somewhat reassured by Clint’s insistence he was available if they needed help. 

 

The women silently returned to their mini apartment and as Darcy took off her coat Jane said, “You’ve been awfully quiet all night. What happened with the strike guy?”

Hanging up her coat, Darcy contemplated her answer, not wanting to alarm Jane. “I had a run in with a guy earlier today at command and then literally ran into him again tonight,” she explained, adding urgently, “Stay away from Rumlow; he’s big and has black hair. He was one of the guys that didn’t lower his gun when we were in the helicopter.”

“Oh, I definitely remember those three,” Jane responded vehemently.

“I thought you might. Anyway, he’s a creep. I don’t know about the rest but I’m planning on staying away from all of them. They were trying to hit on teenagers at dinner,” Darcy said repulsed, as she flipped on the TV, curious to see if the newscast was still on.

“What?” Jane asked appalled. 

Finding music and a streamer on the bottom of the screen announcing coverage would return in the morning Darcy explained, “I pointed it out to Coulson. He took care of it.”

“Is this why Clint said he’d be around if we needed anything?” Jane asked expectantly. 

Dropping down on to the couch Darcy said wryly, “Yeah. He was trying to be subtle but I think we were escorted home.”

Joining her on the couch Jane asked worriedly, “You don’t think they’d do anything, do you?” 

Darcy hesitated before saying uncertain, “Normally, I’d say no. But now? With the way things are? At the moment, things are about as normal as they can be given the circumstances. But in a few weeks? Months? Who knows.” She turned to Jane and said worriedly, “I think you need to be sure your phone is charged and on from now on. If you get scared, call Coulson. Or, me. He had Clint give me a phone today so you can have my number. And Clint’s. We should get Agent Rivera’s and Agent Nicholson’s as well. I’m fairly sure we can trust them. And, we should try to get the number of anyone local we trust.”

“God, Darcy. You actually think something could happen,” Jane said dismayed.

With a contemplative frown Darcy said, “I don’t know. But I’d rather be a little paranoid and safe. I think this is part of the reason Coulson wanted us to stay in last night.”

“And, he wanted to walk us to command this morning,” Jane pointed out concerned.

“Yeah,” Darcy agreed, adding thoughtfully, “At first I thought he was just feeling guilty about the other SHIELD civilians and was being super protective. Now I’m starting to think he knew we might run into some trouble.”

Jane was silent for a moment before observing, “There weren’t all that many women there tonight. I mean there were plenty. But there were more men. And, I got the impression most of the women were married.”

“There are a few tourists, but I think we’re it when it comes to the dating pool,” Darcy said disconcerted. 

“Great,” Jane commented sarcastically.

“Yeah, heck of a time to be popular,” Darcy agreed flippantly.

“I think we need to stay close to Agent Coulson. Or, agents we know,” Jane suggested apprehensively. “Normally I’d say we can take care of ourselves, but I don’t know Darcy. Things aren’t normal anymore,” she said worriedly. 

“No, they aren’t,” Darcy regretfully agreed. She frowned and said decisively, “The only way things stay close to normal is if we keep the power on and find a way to feed everyone.”

“Well, the good news is I think I have a way of taking over the solar farm. I just need to get there,” Jane assured her.

“Good. That’s half the battle,” Darcy declared, adding resolutely, “The next big concern is finding a way to get to the grocery store and get everything back here. The closest stores are 60 or 70 miles away. Not to mention we need to stay away from anyone that’s infected.”

Jane nodded in understanding saying insistently, “There has to be a way. Agent Coulson made it sound like it was just a matter of time before the infected died.”

“Yeah. I hope he’s right,” Darcy said worriedly. 

The two women were quiet for a moment as they looked at the empty TV screen and listened to the light pop music. Darcy broke the silence saying, “So do you think we should invite Coulson to breakfast tomorrow?”

“Yes, let’s. Though, chances are he’s not back yet, so we’ll need to put a note under his door,” Jane said, getting up to get some paper she saw in a kitchen drawer.


	5. Does an Apocalypse Have Copyright Laws?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Jane have coffee, learn some history, run across some bad guys and convince Coulson it's ok to break the law if it's for a good reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming!

Waking early, Darcy lay in bed for a time, thinking about the previous day. After completing the inventory for the entire town Darcy had an unenviable understanding of just how vulnerable it was. They hung on the cusp of disaster. While food was a concern, gas would soon run low and more than sixty rescues and tourists needed winter clothes. Thus far most had received clothes from the local churches and from SHIELD’s supplies, but each was extremely limited. The sporting goods store was still open but they were reporting severe shortages as more tourists came in to make purchases. The town had to locate enough winter clothing for everyone soon, as last night she noticed there were a number of people underdressed for the weather. 

The shortages worried her, but more than anything Darcy had a creeping sense of fear that if they didn’t find a way to feed and clothe everyone the situation could take a dark scary turn. After her run-in with Rumlow, Darcy shuddered to think what could happen. She was fairly certain the strike team alone was in a position to do as they choose as they had the survival skills as well as access to all the supplies necessary to survive the winter. The idea that people could starve or freeze to death scared her and she mentally shied away from the thought. Swallowing hard Darcy tried to shake off the cold dread that swept over her as she considered a grim future. 

Taking a breath, Darcy mentally scrambled to find something reassuring or comforting to think about and she landed on Coulson. She immediately calmed as a sense of relief swept through her just thinking of the man. She was certain he would never allow the horrible future she was envisioning come to pass. Darcy had faith he would find a way to see the town through the winter. A smile played on her lips as she thought of him teasing her the previous night and she wondered what the unusual, yet useful skill he brought to SHIELD could be. She remembered his wry expression and took some satisfaction in knowing she had put it there. Coulson’s usual reticent nature seemed to have lessened since she and Jane had arrived and his new willingness to good-naturedly banter with Darcy secretly thrilled her. 

Taking a breath, Darcy rolled out of bed to face the day. Straightening her glasses and brushing her hair out of her face she was determined to get a handle on her imagination and fear. As she got ready Darcy wished she had her iPod as the silence weighed on her. Turning on the TV, Darcy found to her relief, that the Denver station was playing music. It was a good distraction as she pulled out breakfast MREs and reflected on what Coulson had said about the competition for resources. There were other things besides food they would need to see them through the winter. While food was the most important, keeping people occupied was also going to be a challenge. Once it started snowing, people were more likely to stay inside and without TV she had to wonder what everyone would do. 

Arriving for breakfast Coulson was greeted warmly by Darcy and Jane and they gathered around the table bemoaning the lack of coffee. Again he was able to evaluate the women and he thought they seemed more reserved than the previous mornings. While he might have attributed it to the lack of coffee he was inclined to think it had more to do with Darcy’s run-in with Rumlow and the strike team. She had been unusually shaken when he found her the previous night and based on Clint’s appraisal she had good reason. Considering his options, Coulson knew he couldn’t assure Darcy that the strike team would never come near her again or that her safety was guaranteed. No matter how much he wanted to reassure Darcy, he wouldn’t lie to her. Instead, he hoped to distract her and said expectantly, “I have a surprise for you both. Last night I met the owner of the local coffee shop. He plans to remain open. I thought we could stop by on the way into command.”

Both women brightened and Darcy grinned mischievously and said, “Coffee? You know the way to a girl’s heart Coulson.”

Gratified to see both women rally Coulson caught Darcy’s eye and said with a brief droll smile, “I thought that would make you happy, Miss Lewis.” 

“I’m thrilled, and it’s just Darcy,” she declared exasperated. 

“Darcy,” Coulson conceded with a nod, happy to encourage Darcy’s playful banter as it was a sign she was coping well and he had to admit he had come to enjoy it as well. 

Looking up from her meal Jane said questioningly, “After last night, I didn’t think anyone would still be open.” 

“Apparently, he just received his winter order. So he’s well stocked. He thought it would be good for morale to open every morning,” Coulson explained, he added amiably, “You’ll have to meet Henry. He’s quite the character. His family has been here for six generations. They were some of the original gold miners.”

“Cool. You have to love the community spirit of small towns,” Darcy said in admiration, adding, “I was worried about getting enough volunteers last night for dinner but they had a huge turnout.”

“Yes. Last night was a success,” Coulson conceded, adding mildly concerned, “Although, a structured schedule needs to be put in place to ensure we have enough workers.” 

Suddenly, the music stopped and a newscaster appeared on the TV. The man enthusiastically announced they had been in contact with the military and assured everyone that a rescue was in the works. He also immediately clarified that the sick were not actually zombies and could die. The man cautioned everyone to remain indoors and to let the authorities deal with the infected as they were unpredictable and violent. In the meantime, the announcer explained they would begin to air reruns and updates would occur at the top of every hour from 7 to 7 every day. 

Finishing breakfast, the threesome enthusiastically headed to the coffee shop. They were greeted by another cold brisk morning with bright blue skies and golden aspen lining their walk. They found Henry O’Malley, an old hippie, making espresso drinks for all comers, happily hazing regulars and telling new arrivals bits of the town’s history. Apparently, his family had been there since 1859. They were Irish immigrants that came for the gold rush and stayed for the silver mine. He greeted Jane and Darcy warmly and while making them mochas explained that his building used to be one of the most famous gambling dens in the Rockies back in 1891. The women were suitably impressed by his stories and coffee and promised they’d be back again for both. 

As Coulson escorted Jane and Darcy to the command center he was pleased with his decision to take them out for coffee. It soothed the worry he had for Darcy as the treat and short encounter with the proprietor helped shake off what remained of her disquiet and reestablished her high spirits. Jane’s mood also seemed to have brightened which Coulson was glad to see as he needed her to focus on the town’s power problem. Overall the women’s responses simply reinforced his decision to send the strike team out on reconnaissance, ensuring neither would cross paths with the team the rest of the day. 

Wishing one another a good day the threesome split up to go to their offices and as Jane headed toward the back of the building the strike team stepped into the hall effectively blocking her way. She paused intending to let them pass but they gathered in the corridor talking. Unable to get by Jane uneasily stepped forward and raised her voice slightly saying, “Excuse me? Hi. Just trying to get through.”  


Instantly, all ten men turned in her direction. Jane smiled nervously and said, “Hi. Just trying to get to my office.”

As one they stepped to the side, forming two lines along the corridor. Jane self-consciously began to make her way through the group when one of them stepped in front of her and demanded, “Where did you get coffee?”

Caught off guard by his aggressive manner Jane shrank back in surprise as she looked up at the glowering speaker. She said uncertainly, “There’s a coffee shop still open on Main St.” 

The dark-haired soldier, who Jane instantly recognized, sneered, “Yeah, but how did you get it? You’re a rescue. You don’t have any money.”

Taken back by the man’s accusatory tone and threatening presence Jane faltered before saying timidly, “Agent Coulson was nice enough to treat.”

“Coulson. It figures,” grumbled one of the men as another said, “Of course, he would,” and another said, “What do you expect? Look at her.”

Jane tensed further as her unease spiked to become fear and she fervently wished she hadn’t drawn attention to herself as she was beginning to see why Darcy had been so shaken up the previous evening. 

The man who first spoke spat out, “So you think getting in good with command will keep you alive?”

“What?!” Jane gasped in surprise taking a step back from the disparaging soldier only to brush against the men standing behind her. Alarmed, she pulled away to unsteadily find her footing again in the middle of the formable group, certain this was the man Darcy had warned her about.

“Yeah, you’re with that other bitch aren’t you? You two think a paper pusher will get you through the winter? Just wait, in a couple of months you’ll be our new best friend,” the man sneered, looking her up and down. 

Appalled, not quite believing what he was implying, Jane stood staring up at the man speechless, as he glared at her contemptuously. 

“Come find us when you get hungry,” the man said scornfully. He jerked his head to the side, indicating to the team they should move out and the group stalked by her.

Horrified, Jane looked after them feeling shaken and humiliated. Taking a moment to pull herself together Jane reflected on the Agent Barton’s offer of assistance the previous evening. The situation she and Darcy had been contemplating suddenly seemed far more real. Turning toward her office Jane found Sam standing in the doorway looking at her with concern. “Are you ok?” he asked worriedly, glancing from her to the retreating strike team.

Giving him a shaky smile Jane wavered for a moment before saying, “Yes. I’m fine.”

The grizzled old man led her into the office saying apprehensively, “You should probably stay close from now on. I hate to say this, but there might come a time when you won’t be able to trust people.”

Jane was silent as she took off her jacket and sitting at her desk she frowned down at her computer and said resolutely, “It’s just incentive to figure out how to keep the power on. If they don’t have a reason to act out, they won’t.”

Sam pulled up a chair and said reassuringly, “You know there are plenty of people around here who will make sure you’re safe. Ok? Jane, you and your friend don’t need to be afraid. We look after our people.”

Looking up with trepidation Jane’s face cleared and she said gratefully, “Thank you. We’ll be ok.”

The old man nodded sharply in agreement and firmly reassured her saying, “Damn straight you will. You’re one of us now.”

Touched, Jane smiled appreciatively at him and responded playfully, “I am, am I?”

“Of course, you are. Besides, there are better men. You let me know when you have your eye on someone, I’ll let you know if he’s worth your time,” Sam said with a teasing grin.

Jane breathed out a short laugh saying, “I’ll keep that mind. But I sort of have someone I’m waiting for.”

Sam looked at her solemnly before saying consolingly, “Have you heard from him? Do you know if he’s ok?”

Confused by his tone it took Jane a moment to realize why he had asked. Hurrying to explain she said, “Oh no. I’m sure he’s fine. At least, I hope he is. It’s – it’s complicated. He’s not from around here. I mean he’s – well, he’s not in the country?”

Sam relaxed marginally and said, “That is probably a good thing. Where is he?”

“I don’t know exactly?” Jane said disconcerted, adding reluctantly, “It’s sort of classified. I can’t say anything, but I think he’s ok. I just wish he’d come back so I know.”

Sam considered her for a moment and then with a sympathetic look said quietly, “I hope he does too.”

Jane looked down wistfully and then said decisively, “I need to get to work. I was thinking we should print out some segments of the instruction manuals. I’d like to study them closer.” 

As Jane began printing she wondered yet again why Thor hadn’t returned from Asgard when he had assured her he would. She worried about what he would do if he returned to find Puente Antiguo abandoned. With no way of communicating with the god, Jane had to hope he had the means of finding her if and when he returned. 

Preparing to continue studying the schematics she had found, Jane reflected on Darcy’s warning about the strike team. Feeling violated by their lewd insinuations Jane intended to stay as far away from them as possible. The implication that she would need to rely on a man in power to survive the winter disturbed her deeply. That they might be who she’d have to turn to horrified her and she resolved that would never happen. Jane was determined to find a way to keep the power on and she had faith that Agent Coulson would find a way to keep the town fed.

Arranging a meeting with all SHIELD agents was a challenge but one Coulson thought was necessary given their circumstances. The situation before them was changing rapidly and he felt they needed to discuss the new mission. Taking in the 32 people gathered in the commandeered courtroom Coulson had a momentary flash of regret that out of more than 300 people at the facility in New Mexico they were only able to save these few. Shaking off the melancholy thought he proceeded to explain that the mission was now to ensure the community’s survival and that the search and rescue aspect of their mission was at an end. 

He shared that they had made progress in identifying power sources and plans were being made to secure them. Coulson went on to explain that they had completed an evaluation of the town’s resources and cautioned that they would need to take extreme measures to ensure everyone’s survival over the winter. He encouraged all agents to make inroads with the local population explaining that the closer relationships they built now the better off they all would be when difficulties occurred as trust needed time to develop. Lastly, he addressed appropriate behavior, tying it to positive relations with the local population. Coulson explained that everyone needed to maintain the highest level of professionalism in order to ensure misunderstandings did not occur as they could harm the mission. He especially cautioned against starting interpersonal relationships as they would be a distraction from the mission and could negatively impact SHIELD’s reputation. 

Once the meeting was finished Coulson pulled the strike team aside and directed them to work with the sheriff to assess the lower valley’s marijuana greenhouses. The goal was to bring in planting supplies and evaluate the buildings to determine if parts could be disassembled and reassembled back at the high school. The sheriff had located two local people experienced with the grow operations who would be on hand to make the assessment once the team had cleared the buildings. Paired with a deputy and a local man, the team split up and headed out in jeeps and moving trucks to complete their surveys.

Arriving at the supply team’s office, Darcy found there was little for her to do at the moment, and Agent Rivera sent her on to the school to assist them in preparing meals. She quickly integrated with local volunteers and a few rescues and tourists that had joined them and set to work. It was edging past midday when Darcy saw Agent Nicholson, Sam and George come through the lunch line. Knowing immediately that Jane had refused to go to lunch as she was consumed with her research, Darcy threw together a lunch to take to her. She had a fleeting worry for Coulson as she hadn’t seen him come in and put together a meal for him as well. 

The walk from the elementary school over to the command center was pleasant as the day had warmed and with the sun streaming through the bright golden cottonwood and aspen trees Darcy’s thoughts strayed to Agent Coulson. The best decision she had ever made was calling him that night in Puente Antiguo. He had taken charge of the situation and since then he had been a rock. She was comforted that with everything new and unsettled he was there in the middle of it solid and reassuring. While the town and situation were new and while she had plenty to learn and worry about, the one thing that felt secure and known was Coulson. Darcy had a strong inclination to stay close to him and was curious to know what he was doing. She recognized somewhat self-consciously that she was glad for the chance to see him at lunch. 

The small niggling fear Darcy had was that Coulson would overextend himself and the demands of command would consume him. She could easily see that happening. Considering the situation Darcy wanted to help but knew there was little she could actually do that would be useful. She could bring him lunch and coax him to come to dinner. Darcy was also fairly certain Coulson enjoyed bantering with her and she hoped it helped in some small way as well. She just wished she could do more, but she wasn’t sure what that could be. 

Darcy arrived at the quiet command center in a contemplative mood. She immediately stopped by Coulson’s office to find the man consulting with the sheriff over a large map. Not wanting to interrupt too much she dropped Coulson’s lunch off on the edge of his desk with a short greeting and smile and retreated to Jane’s office. There, as expected, she found the scientist engrossed in reading something on her computer. 

“Knock, knock. Time for lunch Jane,” Darcy said brightly, as she strolled into the office.

“Yeah, hi,” Jane mumbled absently, not looking up from her computer.

Darcy smiled fondly and pulled out a sandwich and apple and placed them next to Jane saying, “I know you’re busy, but you need to eat if you want to keep working at the pace you’re setting.”

“Yeah, ok,” Jane responded vaguely. 

Darcy shook her head and went to get Jane a glass of water. Returning she set the glass down next to the scientist and wheedled, “Come on Jane, it will take you less than five minutes and you can even keep reading while you eat.”

“Yeah, alright,” Jane said, distractedly picking up a sandwich. After a bite, she paused and looked down at what she was holding. Perplexed she asked, “What is this?”

Darcy brightened and said with a knowing smile, “Thought that might get your attention. It’s leftover venison. Good right?” 

“It’s spicy. It’s good, but I wasn’t expecting it,” Jane replied looking at the sandwich quizzically.

“Yeah, they did something with the leftovers. Cut it up and added some seasoning. I thought it was pretty good,” Darcy said, as she pulled up a chair to sit down.

“It is,” Jane said, thoughtfully chewing and then taking a drink of water.

“So I take it you’re making headway?” Darcy asked, gesturing toward the stack of papers and post it notes Jane had gathered around her. 

“Oh. Yes,” Jane said enthusiastically, before frowning slightly and saying, “Though I’m a little concerned. Right now I think the solar farm is powering most of the valley below us. I think we’re actually getting our power from a small dam, way back in the mountains. Which is problematic. I mean, as long as no one redirects the power we should probably be fine.” She added incredulously, “But if I need to get out there, it’s nearly impossible. You can only reach it by a narrow gauge rail. As in, a small private train the power company runs. Can you imagine something that remote? We’d never be able to get there in the winter.” She rallied saying assuredly, “The only good thing is, neither can anyone else.” “But the power from it could get redirected if someone gets access to the power grid. So, we really need to secure the solar plant, to guarantee we have power,” she said empathically. 

“That sounds worrisome,” Darcy commented sarcastically. 

“Exactly. I need to get to Alamosa. The sooner I get to that solar farm the better I’ll feel,” Jane emphatically declared. 

“I hate to say this, but you do realize when you go you’re going to have to deal with the strike team. They’ll most likely have to check out the place and make sure it’s safe,” Darcy reluctantly pointed out. 

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Jane said dejectedly, glancing at Darcy furtively she added apprehensively, “I ran into them this morning. They were horrible.”

“What happened?” Darcy demanded.

“That Rumlow guy. I’m sure it was him,” Jane said decisively, adding indignantly, “He said we’ll never survive the winter without them and to come find them when we got hungry. It was clear he had some pretty disgusting expectations.” She set her sandwich aside clearly disturbed and took a sip of water, trying to wash away her disgust. 

“Wow. That’s not good. I mean, I totally believe he could say something like that, but I didn’t think he actually would,” Darcy said incredulously, looking at Jane worriedly. 

“Well, he did. The whole team blocked the hallway and stood there and listened. I was completely trapped. It was terrifying,” Jane said fearfully. 

“I know. Last night he freaked me out, but the team definitely added to the fear factor,” Darcy fervently agreed, adding hopefully, “Maybe Coulson can send you with the sheriff. He has a few deputies, too. Maybe they could take you." 

“Maybe, but it’s a huge farm. They’d probably need more than a few guys to make sure it was safe,” Jane said wistfully, knowing it was unlikely that the sheriff could manage taking on the solar farm with just a few deputies. 

“Well, Agent Nicholson will go with you either way, right? And, maybe George and Sam can go too? And, there’s Clint. There’s safety in numbers. I can’t imagine they’d let those guys harass you,” Darcy said trying to console her. 

“True. I guess I’ll have to deal with it when it happens,” Jane said resigned.

“Well, that won’t be for a while yet. My guess it’s going to be at least another week before the infected start to die of dehydration,” Darcy said nonchalantly. 

“God. That’s horrible, too,” Jane said in dismay looking down at her computer in consternation, not wanting to think about what was going on outside of the town. 

“Yeah, it is,” Darcy conceded. “But, all of this is, Jane. Nothing about this is normal. And, it’s not going to be, ever again,” Darcy said flatly, knowing she was forcing some hard truths on Jane, but also believing the scientist needed to face them, too. 

Jane picked at her sandwich and said remorsefully, “I know. I just don’t like thinking about it. I know I should be aware of what is going on and I sort of am. But it’s easier to worry about a problem. Making sure we have power is easier than thinking about millions of people dying.” 

“I get that. I sort of know what you mean,” Darcy said thoughtfully. “When I was working on the spreadsheets it was all just numbers but every once and a while those numbers would sink in and mean something and then I started freaking out. I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared,” she confided. “But I can’t stay that way,” Darcy decreed, adding firmly, “As horrible as it is to think about people dying, I guess for me it helps to know that as soon as they do we can go get the stuff we need to survive the winter.” She sat forward and said urgently, “That’s what I’m focusing on. How do we stay alive? I can’t do anything for anyone out there. All I can do is focus on right now and hope I’m doing something that will contribute to everyone’s survival here.” 

Jane looked at Darcy with a stricken expression before nodding her head decisively and saying in a resolved tone, “I can do that, too. I’m almost sure I can keep the power on, as long as no one redirects it. Getting access to the electrical company’s power grid and somehow making sure that doesn’t happen will be the next challenge.”

“Well, I have faith you’ll figure it out. Now eat your sandwich,” Darcy said assuredly.

Jane sent her an exasperated look and bit into her sandwich saying, “Yes. Fine. I’m eating.”

Darcy got up to pick up some papers from the printer and brought them over to her saying, “You know one of the things I was thinking about is if the internet goes down. People are going to go stir crazy with nothing to do, they already are. I was thinking about trying to save as much stuff as I can to a hard drive, you know books and stuff. I wonder how many computers SHIELD has?”

“That’s a good idea,” Jane said looking up, her attention caught. “Talk to Coulson, or maybe one of the other agents if he’s busy. SHIELD seems like they have a ton of stuff stashed away. Chances are they have some computers and thumb drives,” she suggested expectantly. 

“I was thinking that too,” Darcy agreed. Turning toward the door she said, “I’m going to check to see if Coulson ate the lunch I brought him and see if he can help.”

Walking down the hall to Coulson’s office, Darcy was hopeful he would be alone so she could speak with him. Darcy was cautiously excited to begin her project as she thought it might help the town in the long run and she knew it would make her feel more useful. Working at the cafeteria was fine but she didn’t want to do that all day if she didn’t have to. She found Coulson engrossed in his computer while eating his lunch. Leaning against the door frame she smiled and asked expectantly, “So what do you think of the sandwich? Tastes good, but different, right?”

Coulson glanced up from his computer and setting aside his sandwich warmly greeted her saying, “Miss Lewis. It was thoughtful of you to bring me lunch. Thank you. And yes, the meat has a distinct flavor.”

Darcy smiled, pleased to hear that Coulson liked the sandwich. Gathering up her resolve, and trusting Coulson would at least consider what she had to say Darcy said hopefully, “So, I had an idea. Which isn’t exactly legal. But, people are already starting to get a little stir crazy and it’s only going to get worse this winter. I was thinking maybe we could save a bunch of books to laptops and thumb drives? Maybe create an electronic library. We need to do it before we lose the internet.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea. What part of it isn’t legal?” Coulson asked cautiously.

“The part where we’d have to break copyright laws. There’s a digital rights management code on everything we download that we’d have to break if we actually want to share them,” Darcy explained. Warming to her topic she elaborated, “Right now if you buy a book online it’s connected to your account so you can only use it on the device you downloaded it to. The only way to move the book to another device is to log back into your account online and download it again. If we lose the internet we wouldn’t be able to do that. We’d only ever be able to read the book on the computer it was downloaded to. If we want books available to people we need a way to transfer files.” 

“I see. And breaking this code will allow you to do this?” Coulson asked watching her intently. 

“That’s the idea,” Darcy confirmed. She paused and said doubtfully, “I’m just not sure I can do it. I know it’s possible. I know there is probably someplace online that can tell me how to do it. At least if I look hard enough I can find it – probably.” Darcy shifted in frustration and said with certainty, “It’s the only way I can think of to actually create an electronic library. We need to be able to transfer documents from one device to another. Breaking the code is the only way to do it.” 

Coulson considered Darcy and said drily, “Normally, I would never condone such activity.” 

Sensing he was going to give her his blessing Darcy eagerly pointed out, “It’s for a good cause.”

“Agreed,” Coulson said with a solemn nod adding drily, “I think it’s safe to say copyright law isn’t a concern any longer.” 

“Yes!” Darcy burst out with a grin.

Coulson shot her a tolerant look, clearly entertained by her enthusiasm and said, “The good news is you won’t have to look far to find a solution. SHIELD has the means of breaking those types of codes. Check with Rivera. I’m sure he can locate a computer and a credit card for your purchases. Agent Clark should be able to help you with the codes. Tell them if they have any questions to speak with me.”

“Awesome. Agent Rivera just came back from the school. I’ll talk to him,” Darcy said excitedly. 

“Good,” Coulson said with a nod, clearly ready to return to work.

Stepping away from the door frame Darcy hesitated and asked hopefully, “See you at dinner?”

Coulson glanced up at her and taking in her bright hopeful expression he was immediately heartened. He shot her an amused look and said exasperated, “I have a feeling I won’t have a choice in the matter?”

Delighted by his playful tone Darcy grinned and said ruefully, “No, you probably won’t.”

“Fine. Miss Lewis, I’ll see you at dinner,” Coulson said with exaggerated resignation. 

“Good! And, it’s just Darcy,” she said affectionately. 

“Darcy,” Coulson conceded patiently, with a smile hinting at his lips. 

Darcy beamed at him and as she turned to leave said, “See you at dinner!”

Coulson returned to work mentally refreshed from the brief conversation and reflected that Darcy was a continual source of respite. He always felt reenergized after being in her presence. Taking a bite of his sandwich he had to acknowledge it was satisfying and he appreciated her thoughtfulness in making sure he had lunch. Pulling up a report he hoped she saved some of Tom Clancy’s novels as he had heard that while they were entertaining spy novels they were also amusing to dissect for their inaccuracies. 

Agent Rivera set Darcy up with five computers, two external hard drives, and a credit card, adding there were more if she needed them. He also introduced her to Agent Clark, who they found muttering to himself in a utility closet fiddling with some electrical cords surrounded by the building’s electronics. He simply nodded his head absently when Darcy explained what she needed and led them to a computer. It took a few minutes, leaving Darcy to wonder what he was doing but he eventually saved something to a thumb drive and handed it to Darcy telling her to install it on her computer. He explained that as long as she ran the program while she was downloading a book or movie it would break the digital rights management code. 

Stunned with how quickly everything was falling into place Darcy settled in front of her computers, giddy with the idea that she could literally buy any book she wanted from Amazon. She thought for a moment about what and how to organize her purchases and decided to start with the latest best sellers and any authors and series related to those books. Darcy planned to organize downloads by genre once she was able to recruit others to help her. She just wanted to get as much new material as possible right now as she worried the internet could go down at any time. Darcy also had a fleeting thought that they might want to download textbooks but had no idea where to begin there. Deciding to address that and her other concerns with whoever volunteered to help, she got to work. 

As dusk was setting Darcy sat back from her computers wishing she had more time and could download faster. She was accustomed to how quickly music downloaded so books were trying her patience. Running the code-breaking program in the background during the download was simple but she suspected it also slowed the process down. The challenge was saving the book under a new name to save the new format. So far Darcy was averaging 6 books an hour per computer. Running five separate computer at the same time helped her feel like she was making progress but she had barely made a dent in any of her 12 gig hard drives. It was just a time-consuming procedure. 

Gathering her coat Darcy went down the hall to gather Jane for dinner and eventually chivvied the scientist into leaving her computer and proceeded to dig Coulson out of his office as well. The man put up far less resistance and appeared to welcome the interruption. As they walked over the elementary school for dinner he asked, “Were Rivera and Clark able to help you this afternoon? Were you able to break the digital codes?

“Yes! Agent Clark gave me a program. It works great. All I have to do is run it in the background while I’m downloading,” Darcy enthusiastically explained. 

“I see. So were you able to include any Tom Clancy novels in your purchases today?” Coulson asked furtively.

Darcy perked up immediately and replied, “I did. He’s got a best seller out. I downloaded a bunch of his books. I went through some bestseller lists and downloaded everything listed. Then I used that as a starting point and downloaded books by those authors. Especially if they were part of a series. That covered a lot of popular books.” Warming to the topic Darcy elaborated on her plans, “I thought I’d try to track down the school librarian and see if they could work with the English teacher to download the classics. I figured they’d know what the high school library already has. Then I thought I’d try to get the history teacher to help with histories and historical autobiographies. Maybe get the science and math teachers in on things.” She added thoughtfully, “It occurred to me we might want to download survival guides and how to manuals. If there is a handyman or a nature guy who could help with that it would be cool since I don’t have any idea about that stuff. I just think we might need it.” 

“Do you have enough computers and hard drives for your project?” Coulson asked with mild concern.

“I hope so,” Darcy said incredulously, adding in amazement, “Agent Rivera gave me five computers with 12 gig hard drives and two external hard drives that hold 10 terabytes each. Which is huge. We’ll never fill both of them with books. We have room to save movies and music but, I don’t want to go there yet. I’m just worried I’m going to max out SHIELD’s credit card.” 

“Don’t be. Those cards are practically unlimited. And, you don’t have to worry about Human Resources demanding an accounting,” Coulson said dryly, entertained by Darcy’s enthusiastic ramble. He hadn’t given any thought to what the town would actually do over the winter and was glad to know they might be able to keep people occupied. It also occurred to him Darcy’s plan was also vital for simply preserving information. They’d never begin to scratch the surface of the totality of human knowledge but anything they could save would be valuable. 

“Funny,” Darcy responded just as dryly. Picking up where she left off she said, “There are depositories of free classics and tons of stuff we don’t actually have to buy. I was hoping we can get someone downloading all of that too.” 

“Do whatever you think is best,” Coulson encouraged, adding with mild concern, “You should probably include medical texts as well. I’ll introduce you to the town doctor and nurse, I’m sure they’d be willing to help. There is a computer tech that could probably help you locate more computers as well. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of help once word gets out.” 

“Cool. I think this could be a good community project. People love to read,” Darcy declared confidently. She paused and said concerned, “The only problem I see is actually getting the books in the hands of people who want them.” Looking down in consternation to kick through some leaves, Darcy added wistfully, “I wish we had a way to get a bunch of kindles or get everyone their own computer.” 

“That’s unlikely,” Coulson said regretfully. Considering the matter for a moment he offered, “We could possibly canvas the town and do an inventory of how many computers we have available and perhaps allocate computers by household. SHIELD still has a small supply as well.”  


“That might work,” Darcy conceded thoughtfully. “We’re going to have to set up someplace to download books. We could arrange to lend computers there, too. It might get a little sticky. People are going to have to be willing to share,” she said worriedly. 

“I think you’ll find that will be one of our biggest challenges,” Coulson said solemnly, adding reticently, “Sharing resources will be difficult for people. But I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it work. We will need to.”

Arriving for dinner they found that a simple beef chili with cornbread was being served. The utility team was joined by some of George and Sam’s families and they enthusiastically filled everyone in on what they had learned for the day. In the meantime, Darcy spied the strike team arriving for dinner and she stiffened slightly at their appearance. Sitting next to her Coulson immediately sensed the change in her posture and glanced at her in concern. She reluctantly caught his eye and tilted her head in the team’s direction. That evening the team kept to themselves, heading over to an empty corner to eat dinner. Coulson surreptitiously watched the men settle and then leaned in toward Darcy to say quietly, “You shouldn’t have trouble with them again. If you do, please let me know.”

Darcy narrowed her eyes at him and asked suspiciously, “You did something, didn’t you?”

Coulson somberly replied, “This morning all SHIELD agents were reminded that they need to maintain appropriate behavior with the civilian population.”

Darcy evaluated Coulson for a moment before nodding her head in acceptance and said, “Well, that must have been after the team ran into Jane because they scared the hell out of her.”

Frowning, Coulson asked earnestly, “What happened?”

“Rumlow told Jane we wouldn’t make it through the winter without them and he alluded to some sickening ways she could survive,” Darcy explained incredulously, face twisted in disgust. 

“I see,” Coulson said tersely, a grim expression flashing across his face as he glanced over at the team.

“Jane won’t say anything but she really doesn’t want to go to the solar farm with them,” Darcy shared quietly, glancing to Jane, who was animatedly speaking with George and some other men. 

Sitting across from them Sam leaned in and said in a low voice, “She was pretty shaken up this morning. I only saw part of it, but those men were vile. I wouldn’t want a woman anywhere near any of them.” He glanced over at a table filled with men in uniform and said confidently, “I’m sure the sheriff and his deputies could find a way to get Jane to the solar plant. There are plenty of local men who can help. We all have guns, too.” 

Coulson considered the man and said diplomatically, “Thank you for telling me. I’ll take this under advisement. While I want Dr. Foster to have all the protection we can provide her I want her to feel safe as well.” 

“We can keep her safe. We won’t let anything happen to her,” Sam said forcefully.

Coulson nodded in acknowledgment and said appreciatively, “We have some time yet before we can go to the farm. In the meantime, let me speak with the sheriff.”

After they finished eating, Coulson guided Darcy over to a table that contained both the English teacher and librarian and the three of them immediately began planning. By the time dinner had wrapped up the local women had gathered others they thought might be able to help. Darcy found herself surrounded by over a dozen excited people ready to get to work. Once he learned of the project Henry offered to open up his café and Wi-Fi to the effort and everyone agreed to meet there in the morning. 

As Coulson led Jane and Darcy out of the elementary school they received numerous farewells from locals they had been speaking with. Coulson was gratified to see how well the women were already integrating into the community. It was reassuring to know they were becoming known and recognized for contributing to the town’s survival. He felt it was just one more layer of protection they needed to see them through the coming months. 

Returning to the bed and breakfast complex, Darcy and Jane were enthusiastically discussing favorite books when the strike team drove by in their large black jeeps. Their passing quieted the women for a moment as the team’s presence put a damper on their good spirits. Disliking the sudden change in atmosphere Coulson prompted Darcy to talk about the local interest in her project. He had been enjoying her enthusiastic rambling. Coulson knew it was only a matter of time before the internet went down and he wanted Darcy to enjoy it while she could. 

The threesome split for the night at the foyer with a renewed invitation to breakfast. Coulson returned to command anticipating a repeat of the previous mornings. In the meantime, he needed to review the strike team’s report on the marijuana greenhouses they had found to the south. Coulson planned to draw up future assignments based on their findings and the reports he had received from the sheriff. It would be critical to gather additional supplies if they were serious about setting up a greenhouse. He was privately hoping they would be able to utilize the entire high school. Coulson knew that it was ambitious but felt it would be necessary if they wanted to try and feed the entire town with its produce. His next challenge would be to find the seed they needed to make it happen.


	6. Cooperation is Essential During an Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Jane get to know the locals. Coulson gets some surprisingly good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming! You're a huge help!

The following morning Coulson found Darcy buzzing with excitement to get to the command center to start downloading books. Jane seemed just as motivated to get to work; ready to immerse herself in her solar power studies. Coulson was pleased to see how energized they were and how they seemed to have shaken off the unease the strike team had caused. It was also reassuring that, for now, neither was focusing on why they needed to put in such an effort. Coulson decided that aspect of their labor did not need to be magnified. 

For Darcy, it was sufficient that the community was engaged in saving books and Coulson fully expected momentum would pick up as word spread. He thought the decision to have the first group meeting at Henry’s coffee shop was well timed. By putting the project in the community’s hands it gave them control and removed the impression that it was something SHIELD was directing. Coulson highly doubted anyone would see Darcy’s initial organization as anything but youthful enthusiasm as the locals had already embraced her idea. He also thought it was an excellent distraction now that the initial shock of the plague began to lessen and questions and concerns began to formulate. With everyone involved in saving their favorite book, movie or song there would be fewer looking at some of the more urgent concerns like food, gas, and power. 

That morning the skies were overcast, giving everything a flat, dull appearance. Coulson glanced up worriedly, looking for signs of snow while being fairly sure it wasn’t cold enough yet. Not able to ascertain what the day might hold, he unhappily resigned himself to not knowing what type of weather to plan for. Coulson sorely missed being able to get weather forecasts days in advance. The fall blizzard the locals threatened could happen worried him, and he prayed they’d be spared. For now, he took note that the normal dry air seemed slightly more humid and prayed for rain rather than snow. Not wanting to communicate his concerns to Darcy and Jane and dampen their high spirits, Coulson said little on their walk to the coffee shop. 

Arriving at the quaint café, Henry greeted them warmly and while he made mochas expounded on Creede’s history, informing them that the mine had produced a million dollars in silver back in 1892. Suitably impressed, Darcy encouraged Henry to join her book project and help preserve the town’s history by downloading history books. The old hippy enthusiastically embraced the idea and promised he’d have fresh coffee ready for whoever joined the project later that morning. 

Bubbling with anticipation, Darcy returned to the coffee shop at 9 o’clock and was greeted by the 15 residents she had spoken with the previous night, all of whom had brought their computers. It was a party-like atmosphere as the group settled in with fresh cups of coffee to discuss how and what they should save. The group was surprised to learn they would need to break the law to complete their project but embraced the idea once they understood the reason. Everyone installed the code-breaking program on their computer with good humor and got ready to work. 

The group decided to divide assignments by genre and then broke it down further by author as they expected additional helpers would want to join the effort. The English teacher and librarian also had multiple top 100 book lists, both general and by genre, to work from. They tried to cover everything; classics, general fiction, romance, mystery, suspense, history, biographies, science fiction, fantasy, young adult, children’s fiction, textbooks and how-to. With the wide assortment of teachers and professional people as well as a handful of teenagers, Darcy was confident they would get a wide assortment of books. She encouraged everyone to keep a spreadsheet of their purchases and handed out SHIELD credit cards. The group shared a delighted laugh at the prospect of being able to buy anything they wanted and enthusiastically began shopping. 

A drawback of having everyone in one location was that using the same bandwidth slowed their download speed. Darcy quickly recognized the problem and as much as she hated to break up the party she had to encourage everyone to go home to continue their work. They agreed to meet again the following morning to evaluate their progress and arrange times to transfer their books over to the external hard drive. In the meantime, Darcy considered taking her project to the next level. 

Invigorated by the excitement the volunteers brought to the project Darcy returned to the command center ready to get to work. Now that the community was focusing on downloading books Darcy felt she could move forward. She had been thinking about using all five computers and one of the external hard drives exclusively for music and movies. Darcy couldn’t imagine they would fill even one drive with books as it was 10 terabytes. She also had a sneaking suspicion that Agent Rivera was holding back some of SHIELD’s computer supplies. She wouldn’t be at all surprised if he could come up with a few more external hard drives if she really needed them. With that in mind, Darcy set up all five computers to begin downloading music and movies. She cued up a total of 9 movies on three of the computers and went nuts and cued up 20 albums to download on the other two computers. Bracing herself, Darcy went to lunch ready to make it known she was downloading music and movies and was willing to take requests – as long as they were in writing. She brought a pen and notepad as backup. 

In the meantime, Coulson was optimistic as the strike team had returned the previous afternoon with two moving trucks full of planting supplies from four greenhouses. The team had been lucky and the complexes they visited had been empty. In addition, the two local men familiar with the grow operations found that portions of the greenhouses could be disassembled and reassembled in the high school; they just needed manpower and transportation. It was another item to go on the list for the community meeting the mayor was organizing.  


That morning Coulson sent the strike team out via helicopter to specifically check out a hydroponics store that was reportedly on the edge of Monte Vista, a town approximately 50 miles away. He was hopeful that since the store was on the outskirts of town there would be less chance the team would come across any of the infected. What he hadn’t expected was a call from Rumlow announcing that not only were they bringing back a confiscated semi-truck full of planting supplies but that they had also commandeered two harvesting tractor-trailers full of potatoes. 

Stunned by the unexpected good news, Coulson took a moment to think about what he needed to do. He was fairly certain a harvesting truck was the size of a semi-truck which would mean the strike team was bringing in two massive trailers full of potatoes. Calling the sheriff and mayor, they began to round up volunteers to help unload the trucks. He then contacted the grocery store for cloth bags, hoping they’d have enough for each volunteer. They would need something sturdy to carry the potatoes from the trucks to the mines for storage.  


Scrambling to be ready for the team’s arrival, Coulson directed some of the volunteers to the high school to help unload the semi-truck full of gardening supplies. The rest he led to the mining museum along with the curator who was unsettled by the idea of using his historical site as a storage facility but nonetheless understood the need. The rest of the day was full of invigorating and exhausting work. However, getting over 100 volunteers organized at the last minute was a challenge the sheriff and mayor had stepped up to. The community had rallied well when called upon.

It was dusk before the last truck was emptied and the group of workers descended on the cafeteria exhausted and hungry. They were met with a hero’s welcome as news of the potato shipment had gone public. A celebratory mood pervaded the cafeteria as Coulson filled his plate and began to look for a seat. He was waved over to join the mayor and sheriff, and on his way, he took note of Darcy holding court in the corner of the cafeteria. She appeared to be busily writing as people clamored around her. Bemused to see her the center of attention, Coulson assumed her project was going well if the community’s interest was any indicator. He mentally filed away his observation intending to follow up with her later and turned his attention to the men he had spent the day working with. They were building a strong partnership he was grateful for as it was going to be needed to successfully see the town through the winter. 

As dinner wound down, most of the inhabitants remained in the cafeteria talking and lining up to speak with the group who were organizing media downloads. Darcy was at the center of it all enthusiastically taking requests. Meanwhile, the town librarian, Alice, had taken charge of recruiting volunteers. It was agreed everyone would meet at the coffee shop the following morning for their assignments and to begin the transfer of downloaded books to the external hard drive. The enthusiasm for the project was contagious as the principal had broached the topic of using the school computers and a group of teenagers agreed to make the trip out to the high school after the morning meeting. 

Curious to hear Clint’s perspective on the day’s events, Coulson approached the archer who was relaxing against the wall watching the crowds. Clint nodded his greeting and observed, “You must be happy. That load of potatoes bought us some time.” 

“Yes,” Coulson conceded as he leaned against the wall next to the archer. Crossing his arms he added reticently, “Not enough. But, it’s a start.”

“The way I heard it, they found a harvesting center and that there’s another one across the street. Sounds like we might be in luck,” Clint stated expectantly as he looked out over the crowd. 

“Yes,” Coulson agreed, adding hesitantly, “If we can get five or six more shipments like today’s I’d feel better.” He went on to explain, “Strike took trucks that were coming in from the fields. They saw them from the air and decided to take a chance since there was no one nearby. They checked out the complex using the heat scope and didn’t see anyone. Rumlow also reported a number of semi-trucks and diesel fuel tanks at the complex. Which will be useful when we start to gather supplies.” 

Clint nodded in understanding and shared, “I talked to one of the local guys when we were unloading the planting stuff. He told me we should check out some of the ranches on the other side of the river and work our way northeast. He said we’d find more produce greenhouses in that direction; that the marijuana growers are mostly south.” Glancing at Coulson he elaborated, “He said there are some small pig and beef farmers out there, too. If we can get to them we might not need to do as much hunting as we were planning. Who knows, those farms are pretty isolated. We might find more survivors. Farmers that do it all could probably fend for themselves. Might be why we haven’t heard from any of them.” 

“It’s possible,” Coulson conceded adding, “It’s early yet. If they’re smart they’re waiting things out.”

Clint nodded in agreement and taking in the crowd gathered in the corner of the cafeteria asked, “So do you have any requests for Darcy? She’s trying to download the entire Amazon music catalog. Not to mention all of its movies and books.” 

“No. I trust she will do fine. It looks like she has good community participation,” Coulson said gratified as he watched the young woman laugh at something someone said. He had found himself repeatedly drawn to Darcy throughout the evening, checking in on who she was speaking with. Coulson noticed she was garnering a significant amount of attention from the male population but she didn’t appear to be doing anything to gain it. Darcy was just as bright and welcoming with everyone who approached her. Coulson was resisting the urge he had to go to her, recognizing he had no real reason to beyond a vague inclination to protect her. Disconcerted by the impulse he held himself in check knowing it was irrational considering the people she was surrounded by were harmless. As such, he contented himself with keeping a close eye on her. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you have to worry about her. The locals have adopted her. Strike won’t get anywhere near her if they have any say,” Clint said reassuringly as he watched the crowd gathered around Darcy. 

“Good. There’s safety in numbers,” Coulson observed, pleased with the development. Turning his attention to the opposite side of the cafeteria he asked, “How is Dr. Foster?” 

“Jane? She’s great,” Clint said heartily, looking over at the loose group of men gathered near the scientist. “Check it out. The local pastor’s a mechanic. He welcomed her with open arms. And, that old guy – Sam. He’s been introducing her around so she’s met every handyman in town. The guys from the hardware store were pretty psyched about her electrical background. Apparently, they could use help there. They all seem pretty respectful. I think Sam has a lot to do with that. At least, some. She seems to be winning them over on her own.”  


Reassured by what he was hearing Coulson relaxed slightly as he contemplated the group surrounding the scientist saying, “Good. The sooner they trust her, the better. Dr. Foster will be an invaluable resource.” 

“So do you want me to go out with strike tomorrow?” Clint asked expectantly, “I could hang with the locals that go. There’s a chance there’ll be someone that’ll know the shipment centers and can give us the scoop.”

“Yes. I think that would be best,” Coulson agreed, adding, “It’s possible they’ll need another driver.” 

“I can do that,” Clint replied confidently. 

The two men watched the crowd for another moment and then with a nod Coulson left Clint holding up the wall and made his way over to Darcy and her dwindling pack of admirers. She had a slightly frazzled air about her, which Coulson attributed to her being the recipient of so many demands. She was paging through a notebook crossing items off, excitedly telling the librarian, “I have a million duplicates. Which is fine. I’ll be able to make a lot of people happy with just one download. I need to get back to the office to queue up more movies. All of this is going to take hours.”

Coulson approached the women saying warmly, “Miss Lewis, I see your project is a success.”

Darcy brightened as she turned her attention to the agent saying animatedly, “It’s been insane. We’ve gone from 15 volunteers this morning to 40. Tomorrow morning we’re expecting more.” She fervently declared, “My new life goal is to buy out Amazon. It’s a good thing SHIELD’s credit is good because we’re spending a crazy amount of money.”

“SHIELD’s credit is impeccable,” Coulson drily assured her as he stood hands clasped before him, enjoying the young woman’s excitement. 

Darcy grinned, picking up on his tone and asked teasingly, “So what’s the one thing you can’t live without? Are you a closet ABBA fan? Or, is AC/DC a hidden pleasure?”

“No. I can’t say either are appealing,” Coulson said as he favored her with a brief amused smile. He paused a moment to consider her before revealing with the slightest hesitation, “I have been known to listen to Billie Holiday, and occasionally Billy Joel and John Mellencamp.”

“We definitely have Billy Joel and John Mellencamp on the list,” Darcy said with an appreciative nod as she looked down to page through her notepad. She said thoughtfully, “I think we have you covered. But I’ll add Billie Holiday to my list just to be sure.” Darcy looked up at him expectantly and asked, “Anything else? Favorite movie? TV show? I’m seeing you as a fan of the spaghetti western. Are you into Clint Eastwood? He used to do those, right? Maybe some old school Mission Impossible?”

“I’m hardly old enough to remember the original Mission Impossible TV show,” Coulson protested in mild exasperation. 

“True, but I bet you watched it in reruns as a kid,” Darcy teased, looking at him suspiciously. 

“It’s possible,” Coulson conceded, his eyes lighting with amusement. 

“Ha! I knew it. Darcy for the score!” she said with a pump of her fist. Flipping to the back of her notebook she said, “I’ll put you down for Mission Impossible. No promises. I’m doing TV shows last. There are way too many of them, so it would be impossible to make everyone happy. Once we’ve exhausted movies and music and if we still have space on the hard drives we might branch out into TV shows. But that’s a big if.” With a worried frown she explained, “Right now we’re just racing to download everything we can before we lose the internet. Who knows where Amazon is housed. They could lose power. Their servers could crash. A million things could go wrong.” Standing abruptly she began to gather her things saying eagerly, “I left a bunch of downloads going at command. I need to get back there and queue up some more. I still haven’t found out what Amazon’s limit is on queuing movie downloads but I want to find out.” Turning to focus back on Coulson she asked brightly, “So was that a yes on Eastwood and spaghetti westerns?”

“That is a yes. I also enjoy a good old-fashioned espionage thriller,” Coulson admitted ruefully, not quite ready to let the conversation go, entertained to see Darcy so engaged and motivated by what she was doing. 

“Oh, you want Bond,” Darcy said in a knowing overdramatic voice. Grinning broadly she added delighted, “You’re a double-o-seven man. I can see that. Well, I can pretty much guarantee that’s on the list. Bond is a classic. We’re going to try for them all. They’re not my cup of tea. Though Daniel Craig was pretty cool in the last few. I’m just not a fan of the old school ones.”

“Yes, viewed through a modern lens the older films don’t hold up well. But their absurdity has entertainment value,” Coulson dryly maintained. 

“Oh, I like that,” Darcy declared, looking at Coulson in admiration. She went on to explain, “I wish I had used that argument earlier when we were discussing the value of downloading all 6 Star Wars movies. There was a strong argument for not bothering with episodes 1 thru 3 since they are roundly condemned as being horrible. In the end, we agreed to download all of George Lucas’ films, whether we liked them or not. Someone must have since they all made money.”

While they were speaking the cafeteria gradually began to empty. Jane approached them saying incredulously, “I think I saw you talk to just about everyone here tonight Darcy. Just how many movies are you going to download?”

Holding up her notebook Darcy quickly fanned it open showing its full pages saying, “I have a lot of duplicates but I have hundreds. Same goes for music. I don’t know if I’ll get it all done, but I’m going to try.” Lowering her book Darcy observed, “You looked pretty popular tonight, too. I saw Sam introducing you around.”

“Sam has been great. He made sure I met all the guys I’m going to be working with once we get the greenhouse going at the high school,” Jane happily explained. “We’re lucky that for such a small town, there are a lot of guys with construction experience. The local hardware store is run by a couple of brothers. Their family has been in business since the 1890s if you can believe it. They even have a lumber store,” she said in disbelief. 

“From what I gather it’s an hour drive to the nearest hardware store,” Coulson observed. 

“And, it’s four hours to the nearest lumber store,” Jane said incredulously, adding expectantly, “Everyone was talking about getting to work on the high school. Setting up a greenhouse is going to be a lot of work. Figuring out water, grounding all the electrical lines. And, we have to find someplace to move all the stuff in the school.”

“Yes, clearing out the high school is a major concern. It’s on the mayor’s agenda for the town meeting,” Coulson assured her. 

“That’s good. The other thing we have to do is get out to the grow houses and dismantle parts and bring them back here to reassemble. That’s going to take time,” Jane said with concern. “We really need to do it before it starts to snow. From what they were saying we won’t be able to keep the roads open that far out,” Jane explained worriedly. 

“It’s a concern. We hope to have teams dismantling grow houses in the next few days. It’s a priority,” Coulson informed her. 

“I’d like to go see for myself how the greenhouses are set up before we have to figure out how to build them,” Jane said expectantly. 

Crossing his arms Coulson subtly grimaced and said reluctantly, “I hate to say this Dr. Foster, but that might not be possible.”

“What? Why not?” Jane asked in surprise. “The closest ones have been cleared. Some of the guys were talking about going out tomorrow to start looking at the layout to see if we should copy it,” Jane in consternation.

“I would prefer you continue to focus on utilities,” Coulson explained, adding, “I was going to speak with you and Sam tomorrow about water and sewer. We need to have a backup plan if we do lose power. The sheriff told me about a solar company in Monte Vista. I was hoping you could find a way to install panels designed for homes to be used on the sewer plant.”

“Oh,” Jane said somewhat despondently, adding with a thoughtful frown, “That is a concern. I know they have a diesel back up, but it would only last for about a week.” “You’re right. We do need something else in place,” she conceded, adding confidently, “It should be something I can work out. I’ll see if Sam can take me up to the treatment plant tomorrow to take a look at their setup.”

“That would be helpful. I’m sure you’ll have an opportunity to work on the greenhouse once the high school is cleared,” Coulson assured her. 

“Yes, I have a feeling I’m going to be busy,” Jane said with certainty, adding apprehensively, “Grounding the electrical lines are going to be a headache since the school wasn’t designed for what we are going to use it for.” 

“That was my understanding as well,” Coulson observed. 

Turning to Darcy who had been conferring with the librarian, Jane asked expectantly, “So you’re going back to command, right? I should probably take a look at solar power panel installation. Smaller doesn’t always mean easier when it comes to electricity.” 

Picking up her coat Darcy replied, “Yeah, I figure I could get a few more hours in.” She added warningly, “But we have to sleep at some point, Jane. We’re not staying all night.”

“Fine. Just a few hours,” Jane petulantly agreed.

“I’ll walk with you. I have some work I needed to do as well,” Coulson offered amiably.

As Darcy said her goodbyes to the other volunteers Coulson noticed some of the strike team speaking with a few women cleaning the food service area. There was nothing to raise any flags for Coulson so he let it go. The men were behaving respectfully and the women appeared receptive to the conversation. As he had encouraged SHIELD agents to make inroads with the local community he saw no reason to intercede. Coulson was also somewhat relieved to see the men might be refocusing their attention away from Darcy and Jane. 

Heading out into the evening, the cold night air enveloped the three, taking their breath away for a moment. The day’s clouds had cleared and they were drawn to look up into the night sky, overwhelmed by the brightness and nearness of the stars. Jane broke the silence saying wistfully, “I wish I had my telescope. The constellations are breathtaking here. The air is so clear and there’s no light pollution. I’ve never been at this elevation before, it would make a difference.” 

“I’m sorry you had to leave your equipment behind Dr. Foster,” Coulson offered sympathetically. 

“No. It’s ok. I know it’s not important in the scope of things. I need to let it go. Things are different now,” Jane replied dejectedly, her face twisted in disappointment. 

“Unfortunately, they are,” Coulson regretfully agreed, not knowing how to offer her comfort as he didn’t foresee their situation changing anytime in the near or even distant future. 

The threesome walked on in somber silence before Darcy offered kindly, “We haven’t downloaded many science books yet. Maybe we could do that tonight? You could get your favorites.” 

Jane glanced at Darcy appreciatively and said, “I’d like that. But I don’t want to take up your time. I know you have a list from everyone else.”

“Books are easy and they go pretty fast,” Darcy replied unconcerned, adding, “I just need to make sure I tell the guys taking care of the sciences what we get so we don’t have duplicates. We can save them on your computer. I’ll worry about transferring them later when I have more time.” 

It took some doing but Jane eventually found some astronomy books to download. The majority were textbooks as most of Jane’s choices came in hard copy only. Darcy had been so focused on popular reading material she had neglected to consider that not everything was formatted to download. She was saddened to learn that no matter how much effort she put into her project they would inevitably disappoint people. Nonetheless, Jane saved a handful of books to her laptop and seemed the better for it as she got back to work.

Once Jane had some books downloading Darcy began queuing up albums. She planned to use her request list as a jumping off point to download entire albums of favorite artists. Once she had two computers downloading music she turned to the other three and began to add to her movie queues. Darcy proceeded to build a list based on the evening’s requests focusing on those that were most popular. With that completed, she pulled up lists of films from highest grossing to academy award nominated and decided they would be a guide, once she finished with the community’s requests. 

Hours passed and eventually, Darcy found herself nodding off. Shaking off of her stupor she felt stiff and uncomfortable from sitting for so many hours. Darcy stretched and checked her downloads. Satisfied they would continue without her babysitting, Darcy added a few more albums and movies to her queues and put on her coat. She found Jane in her office hunched over her computer reading but braced in a manner Darcy knew was her tell that she was ready to fall asleep. Smiling indulgently Darcy said tiredly, “Jane, we need to go to bed. I just fell asleep and you’re about to. We’ll come back in the morning.”

“What?” Jane replied, looking up vaguely blinking at Darcy.

“We need to go to bed. Save the article you’re reading and let’s go home. I’m going to check and see if Coulson wants to go. When I come back you need to be ready. Ok?”

“What? Oh. Yeah. Ok,” Jane said distractedly, tuning into what Darcy was saying.

“I’ll be back in a minute Jane,” Darcy warned as she left.

Darcy found Coulson bent over his computer with a map at his elbow. She suspected he was reviewing plans for the following day, as she knew they intended to return to the potato harvesting center. She leaned against the doorframe and knocked lightly saying, “We’re going back. If you’re not ready we’re fine to go on our own.”

Coulson slowly sat back and said pensively, “I was just thinking of checking on you. I’m ready to go as well.”

“Good. I hadn’t planned on staying this late, but I fell asleep. Jane is about to. She’s fighting it,” Darcy said blearily as she turned to lead them back to Jane’s office. She added somewhat more animatedly, “The upside is I was able to add to my queues so I’ll be able to get more downloaded tonight then I planned. I found out you can only queue 15 movies at a time. That’s a lot but I feel like we’re playing beat the clock and I need to get as much in as I can.”

“I understand your dedication and commend you for it. But hopefully, it will still be here in the morning. I think it’s time we call it a night,” Coulson quietly urged.

They found Jane slowly putting on her jacket, clearly feeling the late hour. As they departed the command center they passed a deputy on duty who asked Darcy if she had downloaded Springsteen yet. She smiled wearily and assured him she had. He brightened at her answer and wished them a good night with a renewed spring in his step. As they walked out into the cold night Coulson said appreciatively, “Your project is boosting morale, Darcy.”

“I hope so. I know I miss my iPod,” Darcy said wistfully. “Music is just one of those things everyone enjoys. We might not agree on what is good but we all agree we like music. I’m trying my best to include as many types of music as possible. Rock, rap, pop, country, jazz, classical, bluegrass, reggae; you name it,” she eagerly explained. “I’m trying to download more than just everyone’s favorites. I think it’s important. Tomorrow, I’m planning on downloading musicals. People either love or hate musicals. And, for the people who love them, they’d be disappointed if we didn’t get at least some,” Darcy said adamantly. “Luckily, music goes fast. I’m going to get some high school kids to help me and there’s a retired lady who loves classical. She might be slower using a computer than everyone else but I have a feeling she’ll get the job done,” she said confidently. 

“It sounds like you have a good plan. I’m sure you’ll save all you can,” Coulson assured her.

The threesome walked on in silence, unwilling to disturb the still, empty streets. Street lights created pools of light at every corner, leaving the center of the blocks shadowed in darkness. Yet, it wasn’t all dark as the town was lit from above as the night sky was brilliant with stars. The group retired for the evening agreeing to once again meet in the morning for breakfast and to stop for coffee on the way into command. They were beginning to establish a routine they each took comfort in as they adjusted to their new circumstances. Coulson particularly anticipated seeing the women, as he was becoming accustomed to starting his morning by checking in on them. He also enjoyed lightheartedly bantering with Darcy before facing the demands of command and looked forward to seeing what she’d come up with in the morning.

As the women got ready for bed, Darcy reflected on her day and while exhausted at the moment was overall excited by the work she was doing. She was certain she was contributing something vital to the community. Saving books, movies and music might not keep them alive but it would help keep the community as a whole entertained and possibly sane during the confining winter months. Darcy just hoped they wouldn’t lose the internet anytime soon. There was so much she wanted to save yet, and the community had rallied so quickly it would be heartbreaking if they lost their chance now. Darcy went to bed contemplating what she would try to save the following day, and she had a passing thought that she was glad she had already downloaded Coulson’s requests. She knew she shouldn’t prioritize one person over another, but in this instance, she felt vindicated in her decision. If some music or a movie could brighten his day, then Darcy was determined Coulson would have it. Comforted with the thought that he would enjoy what she had saved for him, Darcy fell into a peaceful sleep.


	7. At Least We Won't Be Hungry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson gets good news twice in one day. Jane has a rude awakening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming! You are a huge help!

After a late night, Darcy and Jane struggled to wake, each groggy as they got ready for the day. Darcy greeted Coulson’s arrival for breakfast with a petulant pout saying disconcertedly, “I almost made coffee. I poured the water into the pot and everything. My autopilot is very clear about what it wants.”

“I promise you coffee as soon as you eat breakfast,” Coulson assured her, amused by her grossing.

“Cool. I don’t think I’ve ever had to operate on so little sleep without a pot of coffee. Jane isn’t much good without coffee on so little sleep either,” Darcy said as she handed him an MRE and joined him at the table.

“You could have slept in,” Coulson said questioningly, bemused by her complaints.

“But then we wouldn’t be able to have breakfast with you,” Darcy said playfully, giving the agent a tired smile.

Gratified to see Darcy humor was still in good form, Coulson said drily, “I see. Well, I’m honored you sacrificed sleep to join me for breakfast.”

“As you should be,” Darcy declared with a decisive nod, ducking her head as a small delighted smile teased at her lips. Tired as she was, Darcy still could appreciate bantering with the agent.

“Starting tomorrow they’re planning on serving breakfast at the school,” Coulson shared. “We need to go there from now on and save our MREs for emergencies,” he urged. 

“Yeah, I wondered about that,” Darcy said thoughtfully, adding determinedly, “I guess we better enjoy this morning then.” 

“What are they going to serve for breakfast?” Jane asked with some dismay, gradually tuning in as she ate her breakfast. Concerned, she added, “They’re out of milk and eggs. I heard last night we finished all the bread for sandwiches yesterday.” 

“Oh, let me guess!” Darcy rushed to say, eyes wide with fake excitement, adding definitively, “Potatoes. We’re going to be eating potatoes in all of its forms for the foreseeable future, Jane. We’re going to hate them by the time spring gets here.”

“I believe you are correct, Miss Lewis. Fried potatoes and hash browns are common fare for breakfast. They’ll probably include some sort of meat. It’s possible there is some ham or even bacon left,” Coulson supplied expectantly. 

“It’s just Darcy,” she said with exasperated affection, adding good-humoredly, “And, yah for fried potatoes and hash browns. And, I like bacon. That doesn’t sound like that bad of a breakfast. Coffee afterwards would be a bonus. But, I can’t imagine that will last much longer.” 

Unfazed by Darcy’s mild reprimand, Coulson assured her, “I can promise you coffee. For now. Henry said he thought he could stay open for a couple of months, based on his usual coffee sales.”

“That’s great,” Jane gushed. “I wasn’t expecting him to be open that long.”

“He’s been very generous. He could have kept his supply to himself,” Coulson said with admiration. 

“He’s awesome,” Darcy ardently agreed, adding thoughtfully, “I think I’m going to have a chat with him and see if I can download him something special as a thank you.” She excitedly added as she paid closer attention to her meal, “Speaking of which, we need to get going. I have downloads to get to!” 

The threesome quickly made their way to the coffee shop looking for their morning fix. It was another overcast day and the trees, stripped of most of their leaves, looked dull against the gray sky. Coulson hoped the today’s weather would clear off by the afternoon as it had the day before but there was a dampness in the air that concerned him. It troubled him that he had no idea what to expect and that all he could do was hope if they had precipitation it would be rain and not snow. 

They arrived at the café to find Henry was not his boisterous self as he had run out of dairy products and could no longer make mochas or lattes. He was apologetic that he could only offer them powdered creamier to go with black coffee. Hoping to distract him from his gloom Darcy asked Henry about his attempts to save history books and he immediately warmed to the subject. The old hippie had found a number of history books that included Creede and the San Luis Valley and had expanded his search to cover Native American history as it was so vital for the southwest region. Heartened by his enthusiasm Darcy questioned him closely on his music and movie preferences and promised she’d queue up his requests as soon as she got into the office. 

Arriving at the command center there was a commotion in the foyer as the strike team, the deputies and a number of volunteers were gathering for their trip to the valley. Darcy and Jane hung back momentarily, apprehensive about making their way through the group of men. Immediately understanding their discomfort, Coulson stepped forward and led Darcy and Jane through the throng. The women uneasily followed, diverting their eyes as they slipped past the suddenly silent group of men. Once they broke through the crowd Coulson paused to surreptitiously check on Darcy and Jane, concerned crossing paths with the strike team might have disturbed them. Reassured that the women appeared unaffected he wished them a good day and assured them he would see them for dinner. 

Glancing back at the group of men as she turned to go to her office Darcy noted uneasily that a number of them were watching her. She wasn’t shy by nature, but after her run-in with Rumlow she was far more conscious of men noticing her. Darcy was somewhat reassured by Coulson’s presence and as she watched him go into his office she had an irrational pang of loss. She had the inexplicable desire to go after him. Disconcerted by her sudden perplexing urge and apprehensive about being watched, Darcy fled mentally and physically to her music and movies; comforted that they at least made sense. 

Later that morning, Darcy arrived at the coffee shop to find she wasn’t the only one excited to get to work. Most of the group was already there, drinking coffee and bragging about the number of books they had downloaded. Darcy quickly made a disconcerting discovery. Most of the volunteers averaged 25 to 30 books an hour, compared to her measly 6. Her music and movie downloads were significantly slower as well. Dismayed over the difference she learned that most of the town used a satellite internet provider. The courthouse was using an old DSL line shared by the entire town, which would slow download times significantly. Learning of Darcy’s problem Henry volunteered his café internet line for her to use. Pacified that she had a short-term solution Darcy rallied as volunteers continued to stream through the door. 

By the end of the morning, they had gathered fifty-two volunteers geared toward downloading books. Another nineteen were working with Darcy to download music and movies. In the meantime, Darcy returned to command, gathered her five computers and the second external hard drive and descended on the café on a mission. She was distressed that she could have saved more had she known there was another option besides the courthouse’s poor service. The good news was she quickly finished fulfilling the requests she had received the previous evening. 

Spending the day at the coffee shop had its upside. Henry kept Darcy plied with coffee and as word spread that she was there many from the community dropped by to talk and make more requests. She inadvertently became the unofficial spoke person for the initiative as the librarian was at the high school overseeing that effort. It also gave Darcy a chance to get to know the populace and found they were calm despite the situation. She suspected that it might be due to their isolation as they hadn’t seen the devastation the plague had caused. As it was, Darcy had only the briefest exposure so couldn’t fault them for their naiveté. Instead, she was grateful that the town seemed to be pulling together as they became more aware of their dire circumstances.

 

After leaving Darcy and Jane at their offices Coulson’s morning immediately kicked into high gear. He quickly gathered the strike team and volunteers to go over the day’s plan and review scenarios they might face when they arrived at the harvesting complex. He wanted the men to be prepared if they were confronted with the infected and to be aware there was a possibility that they would have to kill them. While Coulson was confident the strike team would be fine, he had concerns with how the local men would handle the situation. Once he was assured everyone was armed and fully briefed he sent six of the strike team in the three trucks with the hope they could fill them again. Using one of the helicopters he sent ahead the remaining four strike team members along with Clint, a deputy, and four local men. Based on the reports the team had provided, Coulson hoped they would be able to find and fill multiple semis. 

After dispatching the men, Coulson joined the mayor at the elementary school to offer assistance in emptying its classrooms. He felt it was imperative that he show his support in all community efforts. Coulson was aware he was the face of SHIELD and as such needed to build rapport with the populace. Spending the morning moving furniture and boxes also gave him an opportunity to speak with most of the teachers and reassure them that the schools would eventually become a priority again. 

For now, they needed to use the classrooms for food storage. The plan was to store part of the expected potato shipment within easy reach of the kitchen. The drawback was the heated building could not be used for long-term storage as potatoes would easily spoil. Most of the shipment would have to be taken to the mines. As they depleted the school’s supplies they would need workers to haul potatoes from the mine to the school. With the number of people they were feeding Coulson expected that to be a bi-weekly chore at the very least.  


After a quick lunch with the mayor, Coulson returned to his desk to pull up Google maps to review businesses and ranches in the San Luis Valley. He was working with the sheriff’s notes to locate greenhouses across the region for strike to evaluate. He was hopeful they would find not only planting supplies but live plants they could relocate once the high school was converted. Coulson’s phone rang interrupting him and he answered, “Coulson.”

“So, you’re alive,” a deep sharp biting voice said. 

Coulson froze for a moment before collecting himself and saying affably, “Director Fury. It’s good to hear from you.”

“You’re not in New Mexico,” the director flatly observed.

“No. We evacuated thirty-three agents and two civilian employees. The closest uncompromised location was Creede, CO,” Coulson stoically explained. 

“I see.” 

“And, you sir?” 

“The hellicarrier was fully staffed. We were able to evacuate half of the Manhattan office. Picked up a few in DC,” Fury said offhandedly.  


Silence lay taunt over the line, neither man willing to delve into the circumstances that brought them there. Coulson finally cracked and asked, “So, should we be expecting you, Director?”

“Not at this time. I think we might be needed elsewhere. Unless you need us there?” Fury asked with mild concern. 

“No. At the moment we’re fine. That could change if we aren’t able to gather enough supplies before it snows,” Coulson said cautiously.

“Yes, I suspect that will be a problem we’ll all face. I might be able to help. I need to check on a few other things first,” the director offered reservedly. 

“Very well. May I ask sir, is Romanoff with you?” Coulson asked coolly.

“She’s here. Barton?” 

“He's with us.”

“Good. I have someone else on board that I think you’ll want to meet. I’ll be in touch.”

“Very well, sir.”

Setting aside his phone, an overwhelming sense of relief and hope swept through Coulson. He silently celebrated the survival of a large contingent of SHIELD agents. He reflected on the helicarrier’s capabilities and was heartened knowing that if they were truly desperate Fury would be able to provide support or even rescue. Coulson had consciously avoided thinking about the helicarrier or any of the SHIELD offices after his attempt to reach them had failed. In hindsight, he should have realized desperate times likely hindered communication and made a second attempt. 

Later that afternoon Coulson was much more sanguine when he received a call from Clint announcing that not only were they bringing in two trucks of boxed and bagged potatoes, but they were also bringing in bags of barley. 

“Clint. Where did you find barley?” Coulson asked in a tone that bordered on incredulous. 

“A local guy told us about this harvesting center down the road. Coors runs it. You know the beer?” Clint responded nonchalantly, adding, “We filled up two trucks with potatoes and since the other center was packed with zombies we thought we’d check it out. There were six semis just sitting there waiting to be loaded and everything was bagged up and ready to go so we thought we’d take them.”

“Six trucks of barley?” Coulson asked in barely concealed dismay. 

“Yep. Coors’ uses it for brewing. But it’s hulled so we can eat it too. It’s good in soup,” Clint offered unconcerned. 

“You said it was bagged?”

“Yeah, 50 lbs bags. If you can find a forklift that would be cool because they’re on pallets. It was pretty easy to load. Getting it out might be a bit of a challenge,” Clint said, mildly concerned.

“A forklift. What else do I need to know?” Coulson responded drily. 

“Well, I don’t think it will fit in the mine if you want to use that space for potatoes, too,” Clint said worriedly and elaborated, “It’s six semi-trucks. Though we couldn’t stack the pallets so it’s only one layer in each truck. But it’s still a lot. The good news is grain keeps pretty good as long as you keep it dry and not too warm.”

“Anything else?” Coulson asked resignedly, sure Clint still hadn’t told him everything. 

“Ah, yeah. So, I grabbed a few cats. They’ll keep the mice down. I figured no one is looking after them and we could use them. So, yeah, 3 cats,” Clint said awkwardly.

“I see. When can we expect you?”

“Probably be a little over an hour. We just finished loading up.”

“Very well. Park at the grocery store when you get in. We’ll take care of unloading tomorrow,” Coulson directed. 

Faced with the stunning news Coulson called the mayor to discuss the situation. They both quickly agreed to designate another room in the elementary school for grain but were at a loss to know what to do with the rest. Eventually, the mayor tracked down the owner of an unused warehouse on the outskirts of town. The man protested its use until Coulson offered to write him a check. Apparently, it was a matter of principle, as there was no place he could cash it. 

The eight trucks arrived as evening fell and most of the town was making its way to the elementary school for dinner. The men were greeted warmly as the community was becoming aware that their efforts were imperative to the town’s survival. Making their way to the school for dinner the strike team was followed by some curious teenage boys. Coulson took note and was immediately concerned but there was little he could do at the moment. He could only hope that his previous subtle reprimand had made a lasting impression. 

Grinning at Coulson Clint swung down from his truck and greeted him saying sarcastically, “I hope you like barley. ‘Cause it looks like we’re going to be eating a lot of it. Good thing it’s good with venison.”

“I sent you for potatoes,” Coulson said drily as they turned to walk to the school.

“Hey, we got some. We just didn’t want to deal with zombies and this was easier,” Clint objected, clearly not at all bothered by Coulson’s subtle complaint.

Coulson held back a sigh and chastised him, mildly impatient, saying, “We’re not using that term.”

“Hey. They’re attacking and eating people. Zombies fits,” Clint said with a dismissive shrug.

Giving up that battle Coulson asked with concern, “Where were the infected?”

“The first harvesting center was pretty much clear. Just a few bodies in the parking lot,” Clint said coolly as he got in line for dinner. “The other harvesting center is a nightmare. Strike counted 12 in the main building using the heat scope. And, when we flew over you could see bodies everywhere. There was still some fighting in the parking lot too,” he explained disconcerted. 

Standing in line, they were joined by the mayor and sheriff who eagerly listened to Clint report on the day, “We decided to clean out the first complex. We got two semi-trucks of bagged and boxed potatoes. But we found an entire warehouse of potatoes just sitting there. We need to figure out their cleaning and packaging system.” 

“What about the other harvesting center?” the sheriff asked urgently. 

“We don’t know what’s there. And, I wouldn’t want to go in either. I mean, we can wait for them all to die but we don’t know for sure how the virus spreads. I’d hate for someone to get exposed if we can get potatoes someplace else.”

“How many more shipments do you think are left?” the mayor asked eagerly.

“Three? Maybe four truckloads?” Clint said uncertainly, adding enthusiastically, “It’s a huge room. You can see how the trucks just backed in and dumped the potatoes. There’s a conveyor belt that takes them through washing and packaging. We’d need a group of guys to run the system for probably a day or two to take care of what’s there.”

“That sounds possible,” Coulson observed. “Tell us about the grain complex.”

“It was just down the road. There were eight trucks just in from the fields, waiting to be unloaded. We didn’t get to close because there were a bunch of bodies nearby. We stuck to the warehouse,” Clint explained as he filled his plate. He added after a moments contemplation, “It looks like they were just getting started hulling and bagging the grain. Not that I know anything about it, but that’s what it looks like. Right now there’s about 12 more truckloads of barley bagged up, just sitting there. If we want more we’d need to figure out their cleaning and packaging system. But there’s definitely more than enough to get us through the winter and well into next summer, if not longer.”

“I think one of the men in town worked for Coors a few years ago. He might be familiar with the site,” the sheriff offered. 

“Good. We’ll need to speak with him,” Coulson said as he joined the men at a table. 

“You should know strike found a few zombies in their main offices, so it might be hard to get in there if we need anything. There were some bodies in the courtyard too, but we were able to avoid them. The office next to the packaging side of the complex was clear. So was the garage where we found the keys for the trucks,” Clint reported. 

“So we could go back tomorrow?” the mayor asked hopefully. 

“Yeah, sure,” Clint readily agreed, adding reluctantly, “One thing. On the drive back. Well. We hit some zombies. In the two towns we had to drive through. I think the noise the trucks made this morning when they drove through probably riled them up. There were a bunch sort of staggering around along the side of the road and they attacked the trucks. I know we hit some. I mean, we tried not to but they slipped under the wheels.” 

The mayor looked a little green as the sheriff nodded solemnly and said, “Understood. We’ll have to warn people if they volunteer to drive.”

“Right now strike and I can do it,” Clint said reassuringly, adding, “It’s not a problem. I just thought you should know. Though hopefully, by the time we go clean out places to get supplies they’ll all be dead.” 

“It will be at least another week or more before we can think about getting into the towns. We need to concentrate on the harvesting centers for now,” Coulson said firmly, adding expectantly, “It would be ideal if we could unload tomorrow and go back the following day.”  


The mayor nodded in agreement and said, “I’ll make sure we have enough workers for tomorrow. And, I’ll ask around again to see if there is anyone that has worked at either site.”

“Good. While we’re in a much better position, we have to bring in more. At this point, we probably have enough to feed everyone for the next 2 months. We need enough to take us into next summer. From the sounds of it, there is enough barley to feed us. For now, we should focus on bringing in what is already packaged. Although, I’d prefer to bring in more potatoes for variety,” Coulson said. 

“You know everyone is going to really hate barley by the time spring gets here,” Clint wryly observed, adding, “There’s not a lot you can do with it. At least with potatoes, you can do stuff.” 

“Maybe,” Coulson conceded, adding confidently, “If we’re able to get into the stores that will add some variety to meals. And, we’ll eventually have produce if we can get the high school converted.”

“Even if all we have to eat is barley at least no one will go hungry,” the sheriff commented gruffly. “And, we’ll still have hunting and there’s the ranchers’ cattle.”

“My only question is where are we going to put everything?” the mayor asked quietly in a worried tone, adding, “The only other place I can think of to store grain is the county shed. It’s not ideal. That’s where all of their equipment is kept and they’re not going to like giving it up.” 

“We might need it. But, if we reorganize the grocery store we can use that for food storage,” Coulson suggested, adding, “And, we’re going to have to look at the buildings on Main St that are no longer being used.” 

“I had a feeling that would be the case,” the mayor said reluctantly. “I’m going to propose we move the schools into the theater. It’s a big space. It might be awkward to use, but it can’t really be used for anything else,” the mayor explained.

“We need to have the town meeting tomorrow. People need to start getting organized. Buildings need to be cleaned out. It’s going to take time,” the sheriff said definitively. 

“Spread the word. Tomorrow we’ll meet here at 2,” the mayor said decisively. “It’ll be a tight fit if everyone is here at the same time but we’ll manage. It’s the biggest space we have,” the mayor clarified. 

 

Even after spending the day downloading movies Darcy was reluctant to stop working. She worried that the internet could go down at any moment. While her satellite connection was likely to remain active for quite some time, they had no idea what Amazon’s circumstances were. The English teacher had reported earlier in the afternoon that she had lost her connection with Project Gutenberg, one of the free ebook providers they were using. The news had sent a rush of fear through Darcy as the expected fallout of the plague was beginning. The infrastructure holding the country together was starting to fray. She wondered how much longer they would be able to continue. Reflecting on Jane and her efforts to keep the power on Darcy had a flash of worry about what would happen to them if Jane failed. 

Darcy was both dismayed and relieved when Jane and Sam stopped by the coffee shop to pick her up for dinner. She didn’t want to quit working, but she also needed a distraction from her disturbing thoughts. Finishing up for the evening, Darcy reluctantly left her computers running, queued with movies to download and wishing there was a way to keep them working all night. She was glad for the diversion Jane and Sam provided as they told her about their trip to the water and sewage treatment plant and how they were sure they could convert it to solar power once they had the supplies. 

As the trio walked to the school and got in line Darcy was greeted by a number of local people she had met over the past twenty-four hours. She quickly saw just how closely knit the community was as everyone seemed to truly know one another. Darcy was just stepping away from the serving line to follow Jane to their table when she was waylaid by Michael, a local man in his late twenties that she had met earlier. He smiled and said warmly, “Darcy. Hey, why don’t you come sit with me? I was thinking you should try some Clint Black if you liked the Blake Shelton songs we listened to earlier.”

“Oh, hi,” Darcy said, taken by surprise as she hadn’t noticed him. She glanced after Jane and Sam and said remorsefully, “I’m sorry, I was going to sit with my friends.” Brightening, she tried to reassure him, “But, I’m sure Clint Black was on our music list already. So, you’re covered.”

“Well, we don’t have to talk about music. There’s plenty of other stuff we can talk about,” Michael said, hopefully.

“That’s – It’s just, I haven’t seen Jane all day and wanted to catch up with her,” Darcy explained uneasily, nodding her head toward the table to indicate who she was talking about. 

“Oh, come on. You can talk to her anytime,” Michael cajoled.

“I really don’t – I mean - I - ,” Darcy faltered helplessly, not knowing what to say when Sam came up behind her, saying, “Michael, let the girl be. She wants to have a quiet dinner and catch up with her friend. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of other chances to talk to her.”

“Hey. I was just asking her to sit with me for dinner,” Michael protested, scowling at the man. 

“And, she’s been saying no in the nicest possible way. She’s been here less than a week. Let her get her bearings. I’m sure if she wants to talk to you she’ll find you again. She won’t have far to look.”

Taken by surprise at the interchange between the two men Darcy stood silently between them. She smiled weakly at Michael and said ruefully, “I really was looking forward to a quiet night. I’ve been talking to people all day.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure. I get that. Maybe tomorrow night?” he asked hopefully.

“Um, let’s play it by ear, ok? I have a feeling this is going to be a busy week,” Darcy hedged uneasily.

“Yeah, ok,” Michael said, face closing off in disappointment. He turned and stalked away leaving Darcy standing awkwardly next to Sam, uncertain what to say.

“Sorry about that. Maybe I shouldn’t have stepped in, but Michael will pester you until he gets his way or you put your foot down. He doesn’t do subtle,” Sam said as he turned to lead her to their table.

“No. It’s ok. I appreciate the save. I really did just want to hang out with you guys tonight. I think I’ve talked to everyone in town in the last twenty-four hours, some of them more than once. I’m beat,” Darcy said as she slowly sank into a seat next to Jane in a tired slump.  


“We’re going to bed early. You can’t download any more movies tonight, anyway,” Jane said, decisively.

Darcy snorted and asked incredulously, “You’re telling me I have to go to bed?” Turning to Sam she asked sarcastically, “Sam what did you do to Jane? Because my Jane would never suggest going to bed early.”

Sam grinned in delight and said in mock seriousness, “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe hanging out with old guys all day is rubbing off on her. I usually go to bed around nine.”

“Hey. I can tell when you’re tired. You get droopy,” Jane protested.

“I get droopy?” Darcy repeated in disbelief.

“Yes. You lose your spark,” Jane said assuredly.

Darcy laughed lightly saying incredulously, “Spark? 

“She’s right. You do sort of have a spark about you usually,” Sam said as he contemplated her.

“Oh. Well. Thank you,” Darcy responded disconcerted, not sure how to take the compliment. She rallied saying in amusement, “I take it I don’t now, then?” 

“No, you don’t. You’re sort of set on dim. Like I said, you’re tired,” Jane said confidently as she critically evaluated Darcy.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve been drinking coffee all day. That’s kept me going. But, I don’t plan on staying up all night like we did last night, that’s for sure,” Darcy said as she began to eat her meal. 

Coulson observed the interaction between Darcy and the young local man with a great deal of interest. He was curious to know what she was saying but was fairly certain by her posture and mannerisms Darcy was trying to gently discourage his advances. Coulson was pleased when Sam approached the couple and watched as he ran the young man off and escorted Darcy to their table. Finishing his meal and confirming plans with the sheriff and mayor for the following day, Coulson rose and went to join the group. 

“Good evening. May I join you?” he asked affably as he approached.

“Oh, hi. Yes,” Jane said as she inched over to give him space to sit down between her and Darcy. “I have good news. Sam and I think we can convert the sewage and water treatment plant over to solar power. It shouldn’t be too difficult to do, once I get the supplies,” Jane said, confidently.

“I was hoping that would be the case,” Coulson said as he sat down, nodding at Sam and Darcy. He covertly evaluated Darcy, taking note that she was not her usual effusive self. She gave him a small welcoming smile as Jane continued speaking. 

“How soon do you think we’ll be able to get some solar panels? If we lose power we have enough diesel fuel to keep the plant running for about a week, maybe less,” Jane said apprehensively.

“Currently, we’re focusing on the harvesting centers for food. It might be possible to send out a team at the end of the week to evaluate the solar business the mayor was telling me about. Depending on what they find they might be able to bring back the materials you need,” Coulson speculated.

“Oh. I was hoping I could go myself,” Jane said disappointed, adding worriedly, “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to just give them a list of what I need. I’ll need to see exactly what sort of panels they have and look at their installation equipment to know what to take.”

“In that case Dr. Foster, it could be quite some time,” Coulson said regretfully. “I would prefer to keep civilians out of infected areas for obvious reasons. Strike is familiar with dealing with the sick. They are also good about following instructions. If you could outline what you’re looking for they’ll bring in everything they find and hopefully it will include what you need,” Coulson explained. 

“I guess that could work,” Jane reluctantly conceded. “I still would prefer to go myself. There could be installation manuals and other information on solar power that would be helpful,” Jane explained somewhat petulantly. 

“I understand your concern but we’ll have to trust the team will be thorough. We can tell them to look for written material on solar power and hope they can find what you need,” Coulson said trying to reassure her. 

“That’s not very comforting,” Jane pointed out grumpily. “I mean I get it, but I don’t like it.”

“Until I can assure your safety I’d prefer you not leave town. Dr. Foster, I don’t think you realize how vital you are to the community,” Coulson said, his voice taking on a slightly fervent tone. He was becoming mildly irritated with the scientist’s attitude and some it slipped past his usual unflappable demeanor. He uncomfortably reflected lack of sleep was catching up with him as well; otherwise, he wouldn’t be quite so impatient.

“What?” Jane asked confused, taken off guard by the agent’s departure from his taciturn nature. 

“The community needs you here. You’re irreplaceable. I can’t condone putting you at risk when others can do the job,” Coulson said frankly, choosing to get to the heart of the matter. 

Jane gaped at Coulson, taken back by his candid observation, unsure how to respond.

Darcy, recognizing Jane was unlikely to take Coulson’s appraisal gracefully, broke the silence saying, “He’s got a point, Jane. It’s not like we can just go out and hire another engineer. You’re all we’ve got.”

“But - ” Jane protested, disconcerted at the implication she was that important. 

“There is no but. You’re it,” Darcy stated flatly. Shaking her head she said resolutely, “You might not like it, but it’s true. I don’t want you to go either. Not until they that say without a doubt that you’ll be completely safe. And, even then, if someone else can do it, they should. I want the power to stay on and I’m looking forward to being able to grow vegetables in the high school. We might not be able to do that without you.”

Silence hung over the table for a long moment before Sam leaned across the table to catch Jane’s eye and said in a consoling manner, “They’re right. You’re too important to risk. We need you. I think more than you know.”

Distraught, Jane looked to each of them and then ducked her head with a flicker of shame crossing her face saying, “I guess I didn’t think about it. I mean, I know I have a lot of work to do, but – well. I’m just worried they’ll miss something important. If I go I’ll be able to review everything there and determine for myself if it’s something I need.”

“We can instruct them to bring back every book and written document in the building if that is what it takes,” Coulson offered, adding reassuringly, “Now that we have the trucks they can bring back every piece of equipment on site. We will get you everything you need, if at all possible.” 

Jane worriedly searched Coulson’s face before slowly nodding her acceptance. She paused for a moment before saying, “Alright. But, at some point, I am going to need to be able to leave. I can’t stay here forever.”

“And, you will. This just isn’t a good time,” the agent responded impassively. 

No one said anything for a long moment as the topic hung heavy in the air and their unusual situation once again pressed in on them. Coulson didn’t like to have to point out the obvious to Jane, about how vital she was to their survival, as he didn’t want to put more pressure on her. Yet, he felt he had been put in a position where he needed to be very clear. Her safety was of the utmost importance to the entire community, whether she liked it or not. 

“Jane, weren’t you saying something about going to bed early? We should get going. I’m beat,” Darcy said breaking the silence.

“Oh, yes. I forgot you’re tired. We should probably go,” Jane said distractedly as she shook aside her disquiet and prepared to leave.

The group quickly discarded their dinner trays and left the school in a somber mood only to find it raining. The trio bade Sam farewell and silently made their way home, heads ducked down in an attempt to avoid the poor weather. Agreeing to meet in the morning to go to the school for breakfast the trio split to go their rooms. Coulson too was tired after a long day and as he prepared for bed reflected on his conversation with Jane and Darcy. Again, he found Darcy had a clear understanding of the situation they faced and Jane was far less aware. As much as he regretted drawing things out so clearly for Jane, he felt it needed to be done. He also appreciated that Darcy had stepped in to reinforce his point sensing the scientist was less likely to argue with her honest assessment. 

There was an exhausted silence that hung over Darcy and Jane as they got ready for bed. Their tiny apartment was cold and they each quickly changed into their long underwear and snuggled into bed. Neither spoke for a long moment before Jane said solemnly, “I don’t like this, Darcy. I don’t want any of this. Intellectually, I understand. There is a lot of work I’m probably the only one that can do, or at least can figure things out as quickly as we need them. I’m sure some of the guys in town could do what I do. But to know that I’m basically it? It’s just too much.”

Darcy rolled over to face Jane and said somberly, “I get that. You’re not used to having so much responsibility. But you aren’t a researcher anymore. You can’t exist in the bubble you usually live in. Everything you know has practical applications that we need.” She frowned contemplatively and offered reassuringly, “I guess the only thing I can say is if we can get through the next month, chances are things will calm down. Maybe you should just focus on the work. Take one problem at a time and figure it out and move on to the next. It might be better if you don’t look at the big picture too much.”

Jane stared up at the ceiling and said thoughtfully, “Yeah. Maybe.”

“I think Coulson was right about you not leaving. If the strike guys can do that job, let them. You have more important things to do,” Darcy said decisively, adding with conviction, “If Coulson tells them to bring back everything they can find, they will. They know how important it is we figure things out. They might be jerks but they’re not stupid.”

“I’m just worried they’ll miss something,” Jane said apprehensively, frowning into the dark as she considered the amount of material they could overlook. 

“They might,” Darcy conceded, adding argumentatively, “Or, the information might not be there at all. But it could be and you have to trust they will do their job.”

Jane was silent as she thought about their conversation. Finally, she turned over to Darcy saying desperately, “It hasn’t even been a week. We were just camping. And, now we’re here. I’d never even heard of Creede, CO before. And, now it’s the pinnacle of civilization if things are as bad out there as they were in Puente Antiguo.”

With pinched brow, Darcy ruefully said, “I know what you’re saying. I think one of the reasons I’m so obsessed with getting so much stuff downloaded is because this town doesn’t have much. Civilization as we know it is at least 70 miles away and even then it’s never going to be the same.” She sighed and said decisively, “The best we can do is try to hold on to what we have, save as much as we can and take what we need so we can survive the winter.” She frowned in contemplation and said assuredly, “You have an important job, yes. But you aren’t completely alone. Sam is helping you. And, George. And there’s the hardware store guys and you said there were a bunch of handymen in town. They’re going to be there when you need them. It doesn’t all completely depend on you. If anything, we need your brain, they’ll provide the brawn. That’s why Coulson wants you to stay here. And, once we’ve gotten through the tough stuff chances are you will be able to leave.” Darcy added disconcertedly, “Though what we’re going find once we do is questionable.”

Jane turned back over to stare silently at the ceiling. With a resigned sigh, she said, “I think you’re right. I’m just going to have to focus on the job. Whatever Agent Coulson needs me to do - I’ll just do it. I’m not going to think about why I’m doing it. Just that it needs to be done and then move on to the next problem. Otherwise, it’s too much.”

“I think that’s best. I know when I was doing inventory I got freaked out. Knowing how bad things are is hard to deal with,” Darcy agreed sympathetically. “Now that I’m focusing on downloads, I’m better but I’m still worried we’re going to miss something we really need. I think tomorrow I’m going to go back to downloading books. How to guides and textbooks. They’re going to be more important in the long run then movies,” she with certainty. 

“But movies and music and fiction are what is going to keep us sane,” Jane pointed out thoughtfully.

“Maybe,” Darcy conceded, adding hopefully, “I like to think I’m contributing something.” She sighed and said definitively, “The next month is just going to be hard and we need to get through it and then things will be better.” 

“That’s what I think I need to hold on to,” Jane said agreed firmly. “Get through the month. Focus on the problem in front of me and know that there is an end in sight. Once I’m finished with everything, maybe I can think about all of this. I just can’t right now,” she said resolutely.

“Then don’t. Just focus on the work. Not the why,” Darcy said encouraged. 

Taking a breath Jane emphatically agreed. “I can do that.”

Sleep didn’t come easily to Jane, no matter how tired she was. She knew when Darcy drifted away, and she envied her. Jane knew why she couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t just thinking about the reason they were there or the amount of work she had to do in the next month. She was certain she would be able to do whatever Coulson asked of her. Jane had never failed at anything she put her mind to. She didn’t plan to start. That was the reason it was so difficult to let her research go. She had been so close to finding a way to open an Einstein-Rosen bridge. Accepting that she would never return to her work was a sore point Jane was struggling with. Mostly she ignored how distraught she felt when she thought about it and tried to stay in the present. 

But, now she was faced with a much different set of problems, ones that had lasting consequences if she failed. The work didn’t scare her. It was the possibility of failure. It was knowing how many people’s lives depend on her to get the job done. Jane also didn’t like the implication that her life suddenly had more value than another’s just because of what she could do. While she understood the reasoning behind sending the strike team to gather the supplies she needed, she was uncomfortable with the hidden message that their lives were less valuable than hers. 

After tossing and turning for a time, Jane let herself think about what she was leaving behind, hoping perhaps if she faced it, she could let it go and come to terms with her present. Resigned she recognized that if the world really was irrevocably changed then her research would never be completed. More than that, there was no one left to recognize or use it. Which was an important part of why she had worked so hard. She not only wanted to prove her theory but she also wanted to show the academic community she had been right. Those reasons no longer mattered. That Thor might come back was a point that grated at her as well. But again she had to recognize if she weren’t there, chances were slim she’d see him again. She had no idea how he would find her, especially in the desolate world he would return to. Heavy hearted Jane took a deep breath and mentally shut a door on her past. She had to let it all go and look to the future and accept she had a new purpose. It was doing everything in her power to keep everyone around her alive.


	8. Even the Apocalypse has Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Coulson find out how fast gossip spreads in a small town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming. Your help is invaluable!

The morning broke cold and overcast. Unwilling to brave the chilly apartment, Darcy snuggled deeper under the covers to enjoy her warm bed. Her peaceful morning abruptly ended when she connected the cold room with the weather outside and she sprang from her bed to look out the window. The bleak, wet, ice-covered view was dismal but a wave of relief rolled through Darcy as she took in the damp street. As long as it hadn’t snowed they would manage. Her thoughts immediately leaped to her winter clothes, and she was profoundly grateful Coulson had thought ahead. 

With a shiver, Darcy glanced at Jane, who still slept soundly, and began preparing for the day. Worriedly, she thought about all the refugees who didn’t have appropriate clothing for the weather. They had reached the point where it was urgent that they find clothes for everyone. Adding an extra layer of clothing to ward off the cold, Darcy anxiously wondered how soon they could begin to gather supplies from the nearby towns. 

Arriving to pick up Darcy and Jane for breakfast, Coulson felt well rested for the first time since leaving New Mexico. While the weather concerned him, he was buoyed by a sense of hope. Coulson was optimistic after the news of the helicarrier’s survival and the unexpected shipment of barley the previous day. He was reassured that if they were truly in need of assistance Fury would come to their aid. And, with the discovery of the harvesting center, it was just a matter of hauling the grain to town and finding a place to store it. It was a problem he welcomed. 

Coulson found Darcy and Jane in somewhat somber moods, wrapped in their winter clothing, ready to brave the cold. Darcy greeted him with a wane smile, her usual sparkle dim, which he attributed to the dreary day. Jane seemed to have put the previous day’s conversation behind her and greeted him warmly albeit quietly as she too seemed affected by the poor weather. Stepping outside, Coulson found the air to be cold, damp and biting. Darcy followed him down the icy front walk and suddenly slipped, only to catch herself as she twisted her body quickly and came to an abrupt halt. She laughed softly and said with a sarcastic grin, “Well, that was invigorating. I’m awake now.”  


Reassured to see Darcy’s good humor was still there under her quieter mood, Coulson said drolly, “So, no need for coffee then? The adrenaline was enough to wake you?”

“Oh, I always need coffee,” Darcy declared. “That just gave me a jolt to jump-start the morning,” she added good-naturedly as she carefully slid her feet along the walk until she came to a less icy spot. 

The trio was quiet on their walk to the school, each stepping carefully, doing their best to avoid the iciest patches. Just as they reached the school parking lot Darcy lost her footing again and with arms flailing tried to right herself. Coulson, walking at her side, reached out to steady her and in an instant Darcy overcorrected and fell into his arms; her breath knocked out of her with a surprised, “Oh!”

Darcy grinned up at the startled agent, her face just inches from his, both of her arms folded and trapped against his chest. Bemused, Coulson stared down at her, a smile hinting at his lips while his eyes crinkled in laughter, momentarily forgetting everything around him as he was captured by her bright open expression. Darcy looked up at him mischievously, seemingly content to stay where she was; her breath coming up short as she took in his warm, welcoming eyes. They stood for a moment, caught up in one another, Coulson holding her steady.

With eyes twinkling Coulson said drily, “It appears to be slippery.”

Appreciating his understatement Darcy let out a short laugh before glibly agreeing, “I think you’re right.” Her grin began to dim as she became aware of how close she was to the agent. Looking up at Coulson she took in his open, admiring countenance and paused for a brief moment before smiling bashfully and slowly extracting herself from his arms. Darcy let go of Coulson regretfully, having felt unexpectedly comfortable in his embrace. For his part, Coulson was caught up in how Darcy’s soft body felt against his and was unwilling to fully release her until he was sure she was steady on her feet. 

Darcy’s gleeful expression and sparkling blue eyes had held Coulson in place and her lips had drawn him in so he was disconcerted to realize he had completely lost track of his surroundings. He was chagrined to be brought to awareness by the strike team as they pulled up in their jeeps. The men circumvented the trio without comment, causing Darcy and Jane to step back and shelter behind Coulson, starring after the men in trepidation.

Dissatisfied with the sharp change of atmosphere Coulson cleared his throat and offered Darcy his arm, smoothly saying, “Miss Lewis? May I escort you to the sidewalk? It looks less slippery there.”

Flummoxed for a moment by the sudden shifts in mood it took Darcy a second to take Coulson’s arm. Embracing the return of their flirty interlude she did so with a shy smile. Carefully proceeding to the front door of the school and wrapped up in one another, Coulson and Darcy completely forgot about Jane who followed silently behind. 

Entering the school, they were met by the enticing scent of bacon and fried potatoes. While neither spoke Jane closely observed Darcy and Coulson not quite believing what she was seeing. Agent Coulson had maintained his usual composure yet Jane could have sworn she had seen him blush moments after releasing Darcy. She would even go so far as to describe him as almost self-conscious, but it wasn’t a behavior she readily associated with the agent. Meanwhile, Darcy was unusually quiet and acting almost timid before suddenly grinning manically and exclaiming, “Ha! I was right. Potatoes! Now the only question is are they fried or are they hash browns.”

“They’re both fried,” Jane pointed out as she picked up a tray, still watching the pair, reflecting back on their past interactions and questioning if she had missed something previously. 

“Yes, but the shape matters! Hash browns are crispier,” Darcy stated with certainty. She was suddenly invested in what they were serving for breakfast as it was much safer than to contemplate the jarring feelings she’d had just moments ago. She wasn’t sure how to deal with Coulson and discussing breakfast allowed her to avoid him for the moment. Darcy shied away from thinking about how secure she had felt in Coulson’s arms and how she would have been content staying there a bit longer. Yet, a small wistful smile slipped past Darcy as she remembered the expression on Coulson’s face as she was fairly certain he had been just as delighted as she was that she had ended up in his arms. 

The trio discovered plain fried potatoes were being served and after filling their plates, quietly found their usual table. They had barely settled when Sam arrived in a jovial mood saying with a deep satisfied sigh, “The first true cold snap is always refreshing. Makes you feel alive.”

Jane smiled at him indulgently and said, “I don’t know about that. I’m just cold.”

“It’ll warm up. We’re stuck in a canyon. Just need to let the sun get over the mountain,” he assured her as he took a seat, adding appreciatively, “Pretty good breakfast. Better than I would have made at home.”

“You say that now. But just wait. In a couple weeks oatmeal is going to be looking good. You’ll want to eat anything besides fried potatoes,” Clint said as he strolled up to the table. 

“Good morning,” Coulson greeted the archer.

“Morning. I pulled my truck around to the back of the school. Strike is going to unload the other trucks after breakfast and then bring the forklift back here. I figure while we’re waiting I’d grab some guys and we’d unload the truck with potatoes. The mayor said they should meet here after breakfast, right?” Clint said as he unzipped his jacket and pulled out an orange cat and set it on the table next to the group. With a satisfied expression, he added a gray cat and a brown tabby to the table.

“That was my understanding,” Coulson said as he watched the cats begin to explore their surroundings. 

“Oh,” Darcy said in surprise, reaching out to pet the orange cat. “Where did you get these guys?”

“Grabbed them yesterday when we found the barley. Figured they could keep the mice down in the kitchens. You want to watch them while I get breakfast?”

“Sure,” Darcy said as she picked up the orange cat to nuzzle it with a pleased smile. 

Jane reached for the smaller gray cat exclaiming, “Look at this one’s blue eyes.”

As the women cuddled the pair the third began to inspect the table. He sniffed at Sam who held out a piece of potato to him saying, “Let’s hope these three can do their job. The last thing we need is a rodent problem this winter.”

“Ew,” Darcy said, face twisted in mild disgust. Her disquiet was quickly cast aside as the cat she was holding began to purr loudly. Smiling in delight she snuggled it closer as she exclaimed, “Wow, this guy’s loud.”

A sense of contentment washed over Coulson as he watched Darcy cuddle with the cat, drawn in by her soft, gentle demeanor. Some of his persistent worry dissipated at the soothing sight, and Coulson found himself relaxing further. He unexpectedly found himself holding out his hand for the brown striped cat to sniff and then tentatively began to scratch behind its ears. Coulson couldn’t remember the last time he had actually been near a cat, and he found it surprisingly enjoyable to pet one. 

Clint broke up their quiet repose as he slid his tray onto the table saying, “The ladies in the kitchen said they’d look after these guys so we’re all set there.”

“Good,” Coulson said as he withdrew his hand from the tabby’s ears. Turning to Darcy he asked wryly, “Are you ready to face the ice again? I can promise you coffee for your efforts.”

Enjoying his subtle teasing Darcy got up assuring him cheerfully, “I’m definitely ready for coffee. I’m not so sure about the ice.” 

Saying their goodbyes and reluctantly leaving the cats in Clint’s care the group left for the coffee shop. As they approached the icy parking lot Darcy glanced at Coulson, said sheepishly, “Let’s see if I can do this without trying to take us both down this time.”

Holding out his arm Coulson said encouragingly, “Allow me. You’ll be fine once we cross the street.”

Charmed, Darcy took the proffered arm saying playfully, “Secret agent and a gentleman. Is there anything you can’t do?”

“SHIELD agents come with many skills. Being a gentleman only comes with the auxiliary pack,” Coulson said drily as he led her across the parking lot to the adjacent sidewalk. 

Darcy snuggled up to the agent, delighted with his easy offer of assistance, enjoying being close to the man. She liked how she fit next to him. Coulson was the perfect height for her; just tall enough to look up to without getting a crick in her neck. She smiled at his response and teased, “You know you never did tell me what your super-secret special skill was. Is it your debonair manners?”

“No. And, I can’t tell you. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be secret. Now would it?” Coulson said drolly. 

Grinning brightly Darcy said affectionately, “I will get it from you one of these days.”

“You can try, Miss Lewis,” Coulson encouraged her, clearly enjoying their banter. 

“It’s just Darcy,” she insisted in exasperation, affectionately smiling up at him.

“Darcy,” Coulson conceded agreeably, as a playful smile tugged at his lips.

Neither of them noticed they had left the slick parking lot behind and continued on to the coffee shop, comfortable in their cozy clutch. Meanwhile, Sam and Jane quietly brought up the rear. Jane slid her feet along as if she were skating and thoughtfully smiled as she listened in on the spirited exchange. She was amused to find that her suspicions from earlier that morning seemed to be confirmed. Jane found she liked the idea of the pairing, recognizing they brought a good, if slightly odd, balance to one another. She glanced over a Sam and grinned at him, rolling her eyes in exasperation at the couple in front of them. Sam shrugged good-naturedly, clearly as amused as she was. 

The coffee shop was crowded that morning as the cold seemed to have brought everyone in town to the café for something hot before starting their day. Henry greeted the group warmly and directed Darcy to the table holding her computers from the day before; assuring her she was welcomed to continue her work. Darcy unwillingly left Coulson’s side to reboot her computers and with a regretful smile she shyly wished the group a good morning and agreed to meet them later for the town meeting. 

Coulson reluctantly left Darcy, having enjoyed her company and not quite ready to let her go. Resigned, he returned to the command center, uncertain as to how he found himself caught up in Darcy’s trajectory. Coulson was not accustomed to sudden shifts in behavior or moods but found himself disconcerted, yet pleased with his interaction with Darcy. Coulson had to privately admit he should have seen the change coming as the two had been circling one another since they’d met. It wasn’t such a big leap to transition from playful banter to flirting. 

As much as Coulson has enjoyed their spirited exchanges Darcy’s sudden insertion into his personal space had taken him by surprise. He hadn’t expected his intense response to her soft yet vivid presence. He regretfully had to question just how serious Darcy’s flirting was as she was a vivacious young woman who could potentially have many suitors. Given his age, Coulson doubted he merited consideration and he questioned if she was just teasing him once she found herself in an unexpected position. Leaning toward that explanation Coulson reluctantly dismissed his budding feelings and got on with his day. 

 

Arriving at the office Jane absently turned on her computer and took off her jacket as she settled in behind her desk, ready to get to work. Sam sat at his desk and glancing over at her asked curiously, “So how long has that been going on?”

Jane looked up, confused for a moment before she beamed at him and said in delight, “Since this morning. Or, at least I think so. Darcy and Coulson have teased one another since they’ve known one another. But it’s never been like this.”

“What caused the change? Do you know?”

Jane smiled wistfully and said, “Darcy slipped on the ice and fell right into Coulson’s arms. It was sort of romantic. They both just sort of stopped and stood there staring at one another. They completely forgot I was there.” 

“Huh,” Sam said thoughtfully, contemplating what Jane said. 

“Afterward Darcy got all shy and quiet and Coulson seemed almost embarrassed. It was kinda cute. Neither one of them knew what to do. Though during breakfast they went back to normal but then you saw them on the walk over to the café. Totally flirting, right?”

“Coulson’s carrying a torch for that girl,” Sam said with certainty. “My concern is how serious is Darcy? I hate to think she’s leading him on,” Sam said with a pensive frown.

“Darcy? No, she’d never do anything like that,” Jane rushed to reassure him. “If anything she gets shy when she likes someone. The last time she had a crush she couldn’t even talk to the guy. Not that I encouraged her much. He was cute but I didn’t get a good feeling about him. With Coulson, she already knows him. You could tell she’s shy but she’s comfortable with him. She wouldn’t lead him on.” 

“So, you don’t have any worries about Coulson?” Sam asked. 

Jane took a moment to consider the question before saying slowly, “Not really, no. He’d be good for her. And, I can’t imagine him leading her on either.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Sam quickly agreed before offering worriedly, “But he might have concerns about their age difference or that he doesn’t have time for a relationship right now.”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that,” Jane said slowly with a contemplative frown, before adding thoughtfully, “I mean, yes, he’s older than Darcy but does that really matter? They’re both adults. Darcy’s 25 and he’s probably in his late 30s? Maybe early 40s?” She paused and then said remorsefully, “I guess that is a pretty big age gap.”

“It is. I think that could cause some men to question if it’s a good idea to pursue a relationship,” Sam warned. “And, Coulson strikes me as the type to worry more about his responsibilities than his personal life. He could decide he doesn’t need the distraction,” he added pensively. 

“That does sound like him,” Jane reluctantly agreed.

“I could be wrong,” Sam offered hopefully, adding, “He might realize things are different now. That he should enjoy whatever happiness he can find when he can. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.”

“I hope that’s what he does. Darcy is always so easily hurt. She gets invested quickly,” Jane said worriedly. “I think that’s why we’re still together. Her internship was done nine months ago but she decided to finish the rest of her degree online so she could stay with me. I told her not to sacrifice her last year of college but she insisted there wasn’t anything to go back for and she knew I needed her,” she explained appreciatively. 

“That sounds like a girl who can commit to seeing something through,” Sam observed. 

“Darcy may seem flighty but she really isn’t. If Coulson approached her I think she’d be all in,” Jane said confidently.

Sam chuckled and said, “I get the impression that man wouldn’t know what hit him if she decided to put all her efforts into him.”

Jane grinned and said, “Normally, I’d say Darcy would eat him alive but with Coulson, I think she’s met her match. He can take anything she dishes out and gives it back just as good.”

“Well, I hope they figure things out,” Sam said optimistically as he turned back to his desk. 

“I do too. I think they’d be good for each other,” Jane readily agreed as she returned to her computer, excited for Darcy. She had a good feeling about Coulson and knew he’d treat Darcy well if they did get together. 

 

Occupied with downloading movies and consulting the group’s spreadsheet to determine what sort of how to guides they still might need, Darcy wasn’t paying attention to the shop’s clientele. She was taken by surprise when a chair was roughly pulled away from the table and a large man in black sat down across from her. Recognizing one of the strike team, Darcy stiffened and looked at him warily, not sure what to expect. The man, for his part, was nondemonstrative. He leveled her with a blank stare and taking a sip of his coffee said curtly, “If you’re downloading books I have a few requests. If we’re going to be slaughtering cattle we should probably know what we’re doing. There must be a book or guide or something out there. I have a few other ideas too. If you have the time.”

Surprised, it took a moment for Darcy to respond, saying awkwardly, “Uh. Yeah, sure. I can do that. You wouldn’t happen to have any titles would you?”

“No. There’s an army survival guide that would be handy. I know there are other survivalist guides out there, too. Something written would be good if we have to teach people survival skills.”

“Oh. We’ve been downloading survival and how to guides. One of the local guys is a hunting guide so he’s been pitching in there. I can definitely try to find something, too.”

“Good,” the man replied brusquely with a sharp nod of his head. He stared at Darcy for a long moment and then seeming to make a decision he leaned forward said gruffly, “Rumlow’s an asshole. We’re not all like that.”

Caught off guard Darcy considered the man before her. His demeanor had shifted from reticent soldier to something bordering on earnest, which caused her to relax slightly. She nodded in acknowledgment saying, “I hope not.”

Just then the rest of the strike team marched into the café, talking loudly among themselves. Some glanced in Darcy’s direction and sensing their smirks and candid perusal she tensed despite wishing they didn’t affect her so much. The soldier across from her was once again stoic and pushed away from her table without a backward glance to join the rest of the team with a cocky smirk. 

“I wouldn’t bother trying with that one. Coulson’s claimed her. She’s a bitch anyway,” Rumlow said loudly by way of greeting the lone soldier, as he glanced back at Darcy with a sneer.

“Yeah,” the soldier responded noncommittedly, taking a sip of his coffee. He glanced surreptitiously back at Darcy and catching her eye, gave a subtle shrug as if to dismiss the comment. 

Ducking her head to pretend to concentrate on the computer before her Darcy was acutely aware of each of the men as they moved about the shop. She tried not to draw attention to herself, sitting rigidly in place, covertly glancing up to track Rumlow. Meanwhile, her mind was buzzing with what he had said. Something akin to horror ran through her at the idea that Coulson had a claim on her. She felt strongly that she was her own woman and not something to be claimed. Although, Darcy had to admit allowing the strike team to think she was involved with Coulson would work in her favor. They had obviously decided she was out of bounds. Darcy just didn’t like the misogynistic idea that she could belong to a man; even if Coulson was someone she might enjoy being paired with. 

While she quietly freaked out Darcy pulled up the list of survival guides that had been downloaded and confirmed that a US army survival guide had been included along with a number of others. Not finding anything referencing slaughtering animals she began a search, not particularly liking the topic but understanding the necessity of the request. Studiously keeping her eyes on her computer screen Darcy ignored the strike team as much as possible and breathed a sigh of relief when they departed. 

Henry approached her with a fresh pot of coffee and topping off her cup quietly observed, “Not the nicest guys.”

Darcy snorted at the understatement and said sarcastically, “You could say that. Unfortunately, we need them.”

“True. But if you have trouble with them tell me. Or, better yet, tell Coulson. You don’t need to put up with their crap,” Henry said earnestly. 

“I know. And, thank you. Coulson already spoke to them. The guy in charge is a jerk. I’m getting the impression the rest just follow his lead. It’s not like they have much of a choice at the moment,” Darcy allowed with a dismissive shrug.

Henry nodded thoughtfully and said, “At some point, every man has to decide how he’s going to live his life. He’s either going to stand on his own two feet and be accountable for his actions or he’s going to be a sheep and get swept up with the riff-raff.”

Taking some time to consider his words Darcy replied thoughtfully, “I don’t know if any of us has the luxury of taking any sort of stand right now. They’re all probably in survival mode. Not trying to rock the boat. I get that. I just don’t like being part of it. I’d settle for being ignored.”

“At some point, there will be a reckoning. I think its best if a man knows where he stands from the get-go,” Henry confidently asserted before retreating to the coffee counter. 

Darcy returned to her computers and queued up a few more movies as she focused on fulfilling the soldier’s requests. She considered Henry’s observation about men being accountable for their actions. Darcy appreciated the concept and immediately thought of Coulson as she felt he emulated it well. She liked that she always knew where she stood with him. That is, until this morning when the dynamic between them suddenly shifted. Darcy was more than a little surprised to suddenly see Coulson as something more than just the agent she enjoyed bantering with. Although, when she was honest with herself she recognized that they had been skirting the edges of flirting for quite some time. And, Darcy had to admit she was a little titillated at the idea of being closer to the man. 

Remembering what it felt like to be held securely in Coulson’s arms Darcy suddenly felt bashful. He had been solid against her and she had allowed herself to lean into him, to appreciate it further. The safety he engendered and the playfulness they had shared made her feel warm and secretly thrilled. She furtively smiled to herself as she thought about Coulson’s expression when she landed in his arms. He had been surprised, but there had been something else there as well. She suspected he had enjoyed their unexpected close encounter as much as she had.

 

Later that morning Clint stopped by command to report that the trucks had been successfully unloaded and that they were able to fit an entire shipment of grain into one of the classrooms as well as a truckload of potatoes into another. That concern out of the way Coulson solemnly asked Clint to take a seat, saying seriously, “I need to apologize. I should have told you this yesterday.” He quickly added, “Director Fury contacted me. The helicarrier survived. They were able to evacuate half of the Manhattan office and picked up a few agents in DC as well. Natasha is with him.”

Unaccustomed to Coulson taking such a serious tone Clint had been braced for bad news and with the agent’s revelation breathed out, “Thank god.” Relaxing back into his chair he shared, “I got a message from Nat a day in but then nothing. She just sent an emergency evacuation code and that was it.”

“The director didn’t go into detail but I got the impression there was more to the story than just a simple evacuation,” Coulson said speculatively as he leaned back in his chair. He added thoughtfully, “That would explain his delay in contacting me as well. I’m sure he will inform Natasha of our location. My guess is you’ll probably hear from her in the next day or two.”

“So, are they coming here?” Clint asked skeptically.

“Not at this time. The director seemed to think they might be needed elsewhere, but he said he’d be in touch. I’m hopeful that if we do need them they’ll be available,” Coulson answered confidently. 

Clint nodded, considering the situation before saying, “We don’t have room to put them up, much less feed all of them.”

“I believe the director is aware of that,” Coulson conceded adding expectantly, “There are plenty of other locations they could settle in if it becomes necessary. They’ll have to choose one of the coasts or the gulf if they can’t remain in the air. I’m sure the director is even now securing fuel.”

“Yeah, that’s going to be a challenge. We’ve been lucky so far,” Clint asserted as he shifted uneasily in his chair, adding worriedly, “As long as the harvesting centers’ diesel fuel holds out we’ll be ok. But at some point, we’re going to run into trouble.”

“I’m aware. We’ll be able to find more fuel in the nearby towns. And, that should see us through the next two months, while we’re gathering supplies,” Coulson said before offering worriedly, “We’ll run into trouble next spring. I’m hoping by then we have other solutions.”

“Other solutions?” Clint asked skeptically.

“Denver has an oil refinery. And, there’s Oklahoma and Texas, of course. All things considered, they’re not that far,” Coulson explained adding expectantly, “I’m confident we can make an arrangement with the military. They’ll need fuel as much as we do. I was speaking with the sheriff and mayor. We’re hoping we might be able to take over some potato farms this spring and plant a crop. It’s possible we could do the same with the barley. If we were successful we’d have something to trade for fuel.”

“Wow, you’re thinking long-term,” Clint said in surprise, clearly impressed. “I’ve planted corn if that helps any. Barley can’t be that different,” he said optimistically.

“Good. Any experience will be helpful,” Coulson assured him. “Seeds are going to be a priority as soon as we can get into the towns. There are a few farm stores we’ll need to check. With luck they’ll have a surplus from this last year,” he explained. Clarifying he added, “At the worst, we could try to plant the grain we find in the harvesting center. The good news is I’ve found a few potato farms in the valley that list seed potatoes as one of their crops. They most likely still have their fall crop remaining to be shipped out for spring planting. If we can secure that, it would put us in a good position.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Clint said, liking what he was hearing. “I was talking to one of the local guys and he was telling me we should check out some other potato harvesting centers north of here. They’re smaller but if we can get in without too much trouble it would be worth the trip,” Clint offered hopefully, adding, “Probably be a better option then trying to get into the other complex in Monte Vista since it’s full of bodies. I know I don’t want to go back.”

“Yes. I’m aware of the centers to the north,” Coulson assured him. “I want to concentrate our efforts on the closest supplies for now. I expect we’ll need another week to bring in the remaining barley and wash and package the potatoes you found in the warehouse,” he explained. Coulson added expectantly, “By that time I suspect most of the infected will have died and we should be able to get into the stores. We’ll expand our search as we go.” Shifting forward to show Clint a map and he pointed at two locations saying pensively, “As of right now we need to find a way to clothe people. There are two sporting goods stores in South Fork. It’s about 40 miles away. You drove through there yesterday. How difficult do you think it would be to go into the town now?”

“Man, I don’t know. There weren’t that many zombies around. Which makes me wonder where are they?” Clint said with a concerned frown. “I suppose if we took one of the trucks and one of the jeeps we could use the heat scope to figure out if the stores were clear. You’d probably want to limit it to agents. Chances are we’d have to shoot some zombies to keep the area clear enough to load the truck. It won’t be ideal but we could probably get the job done,” he conceded unenthusiastically.

“We’ve reached a point where we’ll have to take the chance,” Coulson said decisively. “There are 60 people in need of winter clothes. Both stores support the Wolf Creek ski resort. I’m hoping we’ll find what we need,” he explained. 

“I’ll see if I can get some garbage bags from the grocery store so we have something to haul everything in. I doubt we’ll find boxes in the stores,” Clint offered readily, accepting the assignment. 

“Good idea,” Coulson said. “I’ll speak with Rivera about lining up some agents to go with you.” Satisfied they had found a partial solution to one of the problems facing them Clint left Coulson to consult his maps and notes further. 

 

Later that day as the community gathered for the town meeting Coulson joined the mayor and sheriff in informing the populace of their plans for the future. The mayor addressed the largest concerns; food and power and offered reassurances as he outlined their progress. Fuel was also discussed as everyone needed to come to a consensus to preserve the remaining fuel in the town’s lone gas station.  
The community also needed to come to terms with the necessity of working together to keep everyone alive. Cleaning out the unused shops on Main St to store food, the establishment of the schools in the town theater, and emptying the high school was discussed. The permanent assignment of workers to the kitchen, as well as support staff to haul foodstuffs was covered. They had a long discussion regarding setting up and maintaining the greenhouse in the high school as well as the numerous volunteers that would be needed to sustain the effort. Most began to understand they each would need to take on multiple jobs if the town was going to survive the winter.  


The discussion addressing volunteers going into the neighboring towns in the coming weeks evolved into something Coulson hadn’t quite expected. The population was uninformed about the virus and was resisting the idea of leaving town, no matter the need. They had expected the strike team to take care of everything outside of the community. However, as they needed as many volunteers as possible to gather supplies Coulson eventually found himself addressing the community. 

Leveling with the crowd before him, Coulson admitted they didn’t know the exact death toll. Nor could they speculate on how many were still alive. He pointed out that none of the national news carriers had updated their web pages in days and TV stations, with the exception of the one in Denver, were off the air. He pointed out that they had only been able to save 10% of the SHIELD complex and explained the strike team had witnessed a significant population of infected individuals. They could only assume everyone was infected as the virus had spread across the country at an alarming rate. 

He explained that while the infected were extremely violent and the virus was deadly, they were hopeful the infected would die within the next week due to dehydration and starvation. Coulson cautioned they would need to be careful when approaching the dead but pointed out that the strike team had managed. There was every expectation volunteers would be able to gather supplies without becoming infected. The community was eventually persuaded that they would be safe and the few that continued to question Coulson’s assertions eventually held their peace as they sensed they were on the losing end of the argument. 

The meeting wrapped up with the mayor reporting on their accomplishments thus far. The establishment of the kitchen, as well as the potato and grain shipments, was highlighted. Bringing up the media downloading project garnered an enthusiastic response as a quarter of the community was currently contributing to the effort. Lastly, they addressed the need for winter clothing and assured the refugees that the following day a group would be making the trip into a nearby town to gather supplies. They cautioned everyone that this was a dangerous endeavor and they could not promise success, but were hopeful. In the meantime, they encouraged the local population to make donations at the local church and they could only reassure people that command was aware the need was urgent. 

The assembly broke up with everyone getting in line for dinner; for the most part enthusiastically discussing the meeting. The consensus was they were doing well and that with work they could survive the winter. The community was aware much needed to be accomplished in the coming month but were reassured by the success they had already had.

There was also an underlying anxiety in regards to the virus and the survival of those outside of the town. Everyone had family and friends they hadn’t heard from in days and were beginning to face the grim reality that they had probably been exposed to the virus. No one was proposing rescue as the futility of it was clear, yet everyone still hoped their loved one would be the exception and were simply holed up waiting for the virus to pass. In the meantime, they tried to focus on the present and what they could do to see the town through the winter. 

 

After spending dinner rehashing the day’s events and going over plans to return to the barley complex, Coulson prepared to take his leave from the sheriff and mayor. He needed to check in with a number of SHIELD agents and speak with the strike team. As he stood the sheriff said, “I heard tell that girl of yours has saved over a 1000 movies. Can you make sure she gets some westerns?”

Coulson paused for a moment, taken back as it struck him that the sheriff had referred to Darcy as his girl. Clearing his throat he said affably, “I know Miss Lewis has a list of westerns she’s trying to save. I enjoy them as well.”

“Good. She’s been a real asset to the community. You should be proud of her,” the sheriff stated confidently. 

Unsettled by the uncomfortable conclusion he was coming to Coulson tried to dissuade the man from his assumption that Darcy in any way belonged to him and genially replied, “Yes, Miss Lewis has worked hard to contribute to the community. She’s a credit to SHIELD.”  


The sheriff grinned and added cheekily, “Not bad to look at either. You’re a lucky man.”

The blatant implication that he was involved with Darcy caught Coulson off guard, as he hadn’t expected the man to be quite so bold. Surprised he said, “Excuse me?”

Backpedaling the sheriff clumsily apologized, “I probably shouldn’t have said that. You never know whose toes you’re going to step on these days. It’s just your girl is a pretty thing. We don’t have a lot of them. A man notices.”

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding as to my relationship with Miss Lewis. We are friendly but we’re not involved,” Coulson stated reticently, mentally scrambling to determine why the sheriff was so certain he was involved with Darcy. 

The sheriff frowned in consternation and said, “I see you with her all the time. After this morning I just assumed.”

Understanding dawned as Coulson considered the sort of picture the two of them must have made that morning. He admittedly had been preoccupied with Darcy and hadn’t given any thought as to how they must have appeared to others. Embarrassed that he had been so flagrant in his behavior Coulson politely explained, “I can understand how you came to that conclusion. But we’re not involved. Darcy was simply having trouble keeping her footing.”

The sheriff looked quizzically at Coulson and said regretfully, “That’s too bad. She’s a real spitfire from everything I’ve heard.”

“Yes. Miss Lewis is quite spirited,” Coulson genially agreed, adding, “Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to check in with the team to make sure they have everything they need for their trip tomorrow.” As he walked away Coulson was torn between being mortified and flattered that the sheriff believed he was in a relationship with Darcy. He would be the first to admit she was not only a pretty young woman but that he also admired how she comported herself. But to have other’s thinking they were involved was troubling as he wasn’t sure how Darcy felt. He hated the idea of gossip getting back to her and making her uncomfortable.

Retreating to the corner to speak with the strike team Coulson had the disquieting thought that he didn’t want to deny his involvement with Darcy. But, he also had to concede there really wasn’t anything between them. That morning had most likely been an aberration in their relationship. Coulson also wasn’t certain of his own feelings as doubts as to the appropriateness of starting a relationship now, and with someone so young worried him.

 

As dinner wrapped up a number of the women Darcy had been working with gathered around her table to talk. After discussing the downloading project and making arrangements for data transfers to the external hard drives, Alice, the librarian, grinned knowingly at Darcy as said, “You looked awfully cozy with Agent Coulson this morning. What’s going on there?”

The question garnered the attention of those standing nearby and taken by surprise Darcy hurried to responded, her voice urgent in tone, “What? Nothing’s going on.”

“You looked pretty friendly this morning,” a woman from the project teased.

“I saw them too. You’re cute together,” another chimed in as she grinned expectantly at Darcy.

Staring at the women in dismay Darcy was struggling to come up with a response when another local woman said, “Did you see them in the parking lot? Because that’s when they were really adorable. I saw them walking over to the coffee shop later, too. They were completely wrapped up in one another.” 

With a smile, Alice enthusiastically said, “You’re a lucky girl. Agent Coulson’s a catch.”

One of the women gushed, “He really is. A man like that you need to snap up if you get the chance.”

At that point, Sam, who had been standing with his back to the group, leaned in and said, “The man’s carrying torch for you, Darcy. Don’t let that fire burn out.” 

Mortified that so many had noticed her interaction with Coulson that morning and jumped to the conclusion they were in a relationship Darcy began to panic. Blindly reaching for her coat, needing to get away, Darcy stilled when Jane gently touched her arm to get her attention. Knowing Darcy well enough to know she was unnerved by the conversation Jane calmly reassured her, “Darcy, its ok. You’re fine. Everyone is just really happy for you.”

Darcy turned to Jane, a little wild-eyed, clearly needing her assurances when Alice said apologetically, “We shouldn’t have teased you. We’re just bored. There hasn’t been anything good to gossip about around here in ages.” She gave Darcy a mischievous look and said speculatively, “You have to admit Agent Coulson is handsome. I’m sure there were plenty of women setting their cap on him. You’ve definitely thrown a monkey wrench in their plans if this morning is anything to go by.”

Distressed by the assumptions everyone was making Darcy helplessly protested, “But we’re just friends. I like him. I mean –I think he’s great. I just slipped and he caught me. That’s all there was too it.”

Gracing Darcy with a patient smile Alice said understandingly, “If you say so dear. Just know we’re all very happy for you.” She quickly said goodbye as the crowd dispersed and as she left Alice ushered the remaining women away with her. 

Appalled Darcy turned to Jane and said horrified, “Oh, my god. Was I that obvious this morning?”

Jane rushed to assure her, “No, you weren’t that obvious. Trust me, ok? I was there.”

Scowling petulantly Darcy crossed her arms and said in dismay, “What must Coulson think? I don’t want him to think I’m some flaky twit who’s just flirting with him for the fun of it.”

“Darcy, no one thinks you’re flaky or a twit,” Jane said in exasperation adding decisively, “Coulson knows you better than that.”

“I hope so,” Darcy said still aghast, distressed thinking about the sort of impression she had made that morning or what might happen if gossip got back to Coulson. As small as the town was she had a sinking feeling he would soon know what was being said if he didn’t already. 

“Don’t worry about what other people are saying, ok? That’s what’s got you upset. Before Alice brought it up you were fine with this morning, weren’t you?” Jane questioned, knowing Darcy needed the situation reframed to see it properly. 

“Yeah,” Darcy said hesitantly as she reflected back on the morning and how she had secretly obsessed about it most of the day. She had felt a thrill of excitement every time she had thought about landing in Coulson’s arms. The way he had looked at her had made her feel warm and somehow fragile. Darcy was somewhat embarrassed at how happy she was and had spent the day replaying the morning, trying to find any hidden meaning behind Coulson’s words and expressions. But, in the end, she had to admit she didn’t know how Coulson felt. For all Darcy knew he might think she was some ridiculous girl who had stupidly hung off of him when all he was trying to do was help her keep her balance. 

“Don’t let other people get in your head. Just remember how you felt this morning and let that be your guide,” Jane advised, adding confidently, “If there’s more between you and Coulson then you’ll figure it out together. And, you don’t need to have all the answers right this minute. Just let things happen naturally. You’ll see, everything will be fine.”

Comforted, Darcy relaxed marginally. Feeling self-conscious, she glanced around to see if anyone had been listening in, desperately hoping Coulson hadn’t gotten wind of the gossip floating around about them. While Darcy liked the concept of getting involved with Coulson, it was a nebulous idea at this point and she was dismayed that so many people were weighing in on a relationship that didn’t exist. In addition, she had barely discovered her own feelings; Darcy wasn’t ready to share them with everyone else. It all felt too fragile and new. 

 

As the crowd dispersed, Coulson could see from across the room that Darcy was noticeably upset, and he was apprehensive about approaching her. Aware the sheriff was most likely not alone in his observations, Coulson cautiously made his way over to Darcy and Jane. He suspected gossip had reached Darcy regarding their relationship and wondered what distressed her most, the idea he might be interested in her romantically or that the entire town seemed to be aware of it. Neither option played well in his favor considering Darcy’s apparent misery. It also reinforced his concerns about becoming involved with her. Nonetheless, until it was abundantly clear how she felt Coulson resolved to treat Darcy as he always did, and planned to escort her and Jane home as he did every night. 

“Good evening ladies,” Coulson said with a cordial smile. As he came to stand before the pair Darcy greeted him with a shy smile but was unable to quite meet his eyes and seemed to hide behind her glasses.

Meanwhile, Jane greeted him warmly saying, “Agent Coulson, hi. Great meeting today. I think everyone is ready to get work.”

“Yes, I think it went well,” Coulson affably agreed. Not wanting to put pressure on Darcy and wanting to give her an excuse to avoid him he asked, “Were you ready to return to the complex, or did you need to speak with the rest of your project team?”

With an understanding expression, Jane said, “We’re ready to go. They got done just a few minutes ago, didn’t you Darcy?”

“Uh, yeah. We’re all done. But, there’s no hurry. I mean, if you have work to do we can manage on our own. We don’t want to be a bother. You know, if you have other stuff you need to do,” Darcy awkwardly babbled, nervously adjusting her glasses and gesturing over to the sheriff and mayor.

“I’m free,” Coulson said pleasantly while concluding gossip had definitely reached Darcy as he had never seen her quite so agitated. Disconcerted by her unease he questioned if it had been a good idea to approach her. It was apparent his presence was upsetting her and disheartened Coulson came to the conclusion she didn’t welcome his attention. 

Watching in dismay as Coulson’s relaxed yet attentive posture subtlety changed to become more rigid, Darcy floundered, trying to determine what had caused his sudden change in demeanor. She rushed to try to put him at ease saying, “I know you're usually really busy. So, it's great - that you're free, I mean. If you are because if you're not that's ok, too.”

Charmed by Darcy’s fumbling Coulson relaxed, reassured she was actually fine with him being there. He began to suspect that while the gossip distressed her, his attentions weren’t completely unwelcome. He smiled wryly at her and said, “Yes. I’m free. I do have a message for you from the sheriff. He wanted to make sure you were saving plenty of westerns.”

“Oh! Yes. We have tons of westerns. One of the guys has been going to town downloading them. I think that’s going to be a pretty popular genre, given the area we’re in,” Darcy hurriedly answered, grasping the opening Coulson had given her. 

“That’s probably the case,” Coulson blandly observed, hoping the conversation would distract Darcy from her nervousness and put them back on the path to reestablish their easy rapport. 

The pair came to an abrupt halt, not knowing what to say next and Jane seeing them floundering saved them both by saying, “So now that we’ve established everyone is free should we get going?”

Darcy was just picking her coat when Coulson reached out and said, “Here, let me help you with that.” Surprised, Darcy let him take it from her and watched as he shook it open and held it out for her. Turning she put her arms back and he slid the jacket on easily, his hands coming to rest gently on her shoulders. Darcy turned to find Coulson standing closely and caught up in his warm eyes Darcy smiled shyly and said, “Thank you.”

With a slow nod, Coulson quietly said, “You’re welcome.”

After a brief moment of staring at each other, Darcy awkwardly slipped away saying, “We should get going. The good news is the ice is gone. You won’t have to worry about me taking you out on the way home.”

“Oh, I’m not worried. And, I was happy to help this morning,” Coulson said affably as he followed closely behind her. Jane brought up the rear, resisting the urge to shake her head in exasperation as she wondered what she was going to do with the pair. It was blindingly obvious with the way the two were dancing around one another they were interested, yet unsure of the other’s intentions.

The walk home was initially quiet but once Coulson told them about the helicarrier and shared that well over 500 SHIELD agents had survived the plague Darcy overcame her reticence. She enthusiastically celebrated that so many had survived but worriedly asked if they were all planning on settling there. Coulson quickly explained the helicarrier would most likely only come if they had an emergency but he was glad to share that they now had backup if needed.

As usual, the trio stopped in the foyer and agreed to go to breakfast together in the morning. Darcy smiled timidly as she said good night, quickly ducking her head after she caught Coulson’s eye. Charmed he said, “Good night Miss Lewis, sleep well.”

She looked up in exasperation and resolutely stated, “Darcy.”

“Very well, Darcy,” Coulson warmly conceded, a playful smile teasing at his lips. He paused, glad to see her looking him directly in the eye and with a tilt of his head he considered her for a moment before saying invitingly, “And, it’s Phil.”

Smiling tentatively Darcy’s eyes brightened in delight and with a nod of acceptance she solemnly said, “Phil.”

While the pair spoke Jane stood off to the side, once again forgotten, wondering if there was a way she could slip by without being noticed. Finally, giving up she headed for the stairs, barely hiding a laugh, and called out, “Good night.”

Jane’s farewell interrupted the couple’s quiet tableau and they both quickly looked away and awkwardly said good night and retreated to their apartments. 

Coulson retired to his room unabashedly pleased with how his evening had ended. He hadn’t planned on asking Darcy to call him by his given name, but he was heartened that she seemed to welcome his invitation. Reflecting on the evening, Coulson was gratified that Darcy had returned to her normal animated behavior on their walk home and that they had reestablished their easy rapport. While he was sure gossip had reached Darcy, he was certain she wasn’t as disturbed by it as he had initially thought. He was more than a little hopeful that his interest in her might be returned. 

Yet, as he got ready for bed Coulson began to wonder what he was thinking even considering getting involved with Darcy as she was so young. Coulson was acutely aware that the local man that approached her the previous evening was a far more suitable suitor. He also had to question the appropriateness of becoming involved with Darcy as he was technically her superior. While SHIELD no longer existed, Coulson held a position of authority and he hated to think there was even a whisper of impropriety. He also had to acknowledge he wasn’t setting a good example for other SHIELD agents; particularly after he had discouraged them from initiating relationships. As much as he looked forward to seeing Darcy in the morning he had to acknowledge there were some real stumbling blocks before them if they were serious about starting a relationship. 

 

Slowly following after Jane, Darcy was preoccupied with Coulson’s suggestion that she use his name. His offer had taken her by surprise but pleased her as well. She thought maybe it was his way of putting them on equal footing. They would no longer be Agent Coulson and Miss Lewis. Phil and Darcy were equitable. 

Turning his name around in her mind a few times Darcy decided with a small secret smile that she liked it. She mentally repeated his name yet again and came to the conclusion that it was the intimacy of using it that she liked. Phil was more approachable than Coulson; somehow warmer and more familiar. And, in a way, it felt as if it were something private shared just between them. Darcy hoped he would begin to use her name as well, as it gave her a small jolt of pleasure every time he said it. 

As upset as she had been earlier in the evening, Darcy found she was much calmer after spending time with Phil. He had a quiet presence that reassured her in a way that Jane couldn’t. She had a feeling he was aware of the gossip circulating about them but he hadn’t appeared affected. If anything he seemed more attentive and even receptive to starting a relationship with her if Darcy was reading the signs right.  
While the idea of initiating a relationship excited her, Darcy was also filled with trepidation. She hadn’t had many relationships and those she’d had were with boys still trying to figure themselves out. Phil was an accomplished man with a solid reputation and serious responsibilities. Sure that he his standards were high, Darcy worried that she would disappoint him once he got to know her further. At the same time, she was fairly certain that he appreciated her for who she was. Darcy was confident Phil wouldn’t pay her as much attention as he did if he thought she was lacking in some way. 

Quietly crawling into bed Darcy was shaken from her thoughts when Jane said in mild amusement, “So, you’re awfully quiet. Penny for your thoughts?”

Snuggling down under the covers Darcy considered what she wanted to say. Finally, she turned to Jane and hesitantly said, “I think I’m ok, now. Dinner was bit much. I sort of freaked out for a minute or two. But then – Phil came over and everything was better.” 

“Phil, huh?”

“Yeah. I think so,” Darcy said thoughtfully, a smile teasing her lips.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m all for you and – Phil – getting together. I think you’d be a good match,” Jane said encouragingly, appreciating how Darcy seemed to be relaxing into the idea of a relationship with the taciturn agent. 

Considering the situation for a moment Darcy cautiously offered, “I think it might be too early yet to say we’re getting together. It’s all too new. I think we both need some time to figure things out.”

“That’s fair. Spend some time with him. I can always disappear if you want to be alone. Just say the word,” Jane said, finishing with teasing smile. 

“I don’t think that’s necessary quite yet,” Darcy said in mild exasperation. “This morning was kind of intense. Which was fun, but I think we just need some time to just be and see where that takes us. We need to not be Agent Coulson and Miss Lewis but instead be Phil and Darcy for a while,” Darcy said, reminiscing about the morning but thinking toward the future. 

“I like that. Phil and Darcy. It has a ring to it. And, part of figuring out if you want to get together is finding out if you fit as a couple and not just as friends,” Jane said reassuringly. 

“Yeah,” Darcy slowly agreed as she wondered where Phil stood. She couldn’t imagine him pressuring her, but at the same time, she wondered just how quickly he wanted to move forward if he did want a relationship. She suspected once he made up his mind he’d be all in. Darcy just hoped he’d be willing to wait if it took her a bit longer to get on the same page.


	9. She's Got a Way About Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson learns the state of the world...and his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to thestancyg for the patient proofreading and brainstorming!
> 
> I'm sorry this update comes late. Between the holidays and totaling my car real life took precedence. Hopefully, I'll be back to updating more regularly.

Reviewing reports from the past week, a sense of satisfaction settled over Coulson as he was extremely pleased with the provisions they had gathered. Strike had been able to bring in the rest of the bagged barley as well as wash and package the warehouse full of potatoes they had found. Coulson had also located an artisan miller in the valley, and they had been able to haul the small grain mill back to town along with a small supply of flour and grain. It would enable them to grind barley and allow them to make bread. Coulson was fairly certain the town now had enough food to make it through the winter and into spring. What they needed were foods to supplement the very bland staples. Cooking oil and salt would be essential for preparing meals, but all basic baking ingredients and spices would be extremely useful if they hoped to eat more than plain potatoes, barley, and sourdough bread. 

The town had been eating well the past few days as the hunts local volunteers had organized had been successful. There was talk of an elk herd in the area and discussion about going out into the valley to hunt deer while the roads were still open. While Coulson had been cautious about that plan, the strike team had located a gas truck in Monte Vista during their reconnaissance and cleanup of the town. The truck easily topped off Creede’s gas station tanks. It would also be useful for pumping gas from tanks in the surrounding area and transporting it back to town. Coulson was reassured that they were in a much stronger position for the winter than he had originally expected. They would still need to ration gas, but he was becoming comfortable with the idea that they would be able to keep the road open to the high school. Coulson was even broadening his plans, considering sending a group to the valley’s motorsports stores to collect snowmobiles and 4 wheelers as they were more economical to use than the jeeps.

Breaking down and moving materials from the area marijuana greenhouses was an ongoing project that was taking more time than Coulson was comfortable with. Yet, he had to acknowledge they had a limited pool of workers to handle the complicated, time-consuming work. The larger concern was that once materials arrived at the high school, work stalled. Jane and Sam had joined the brothers from the hardware store and a few other men with electrical experience, and they were doing their best to reconfigure the school for its new purpose. However, the building wasn’t intended to distribute the amount of water they needed to use. Coming up with solutions was time consuming particularly when they factored the numerous electrical cables needed for the grow lamps. Grounding the electricity they needed turned out to be yet another challenge. 

Although, Coulson had to concede all the hard work would be for naught if they didn’t find seeds in their foray into the towns in the next few weeks. From his research of valley towns, he was optimistic. He had located a national seed supplier in Monte Vista that he hoped would be able to provide grain seed for spring planting. The number of farmer’s co-ops, feed and grain stores and general farm stores in the area gave him hope that someone would still have both garden and grain seed on hand, even if it was out of season. There were also a number of farms and ranches he hoped they’d have time to investigate later in the month. Coulson expected they would have success locating seed there as some listed seed potatoes as one of their crops and many had greenhouses as they sold vegetables in bulk. Such finds would be essential in order to establish their own greenhouse and for planting fields in the spring. 

Feeling much more confident about the town’s chances of surviving the winter Coulson turned to his plans for the following day’s expedition into Monte Vista. Between the strike team and volunteers, there would be fifty people gathering provisions. The list of supplies was extensive and Coulson was assigning SHIELD agents to head up teams with specific goals to guarantee they gathered everything they needed. 

The plan was to empty the two grocery stores as well as take what they needed from the farmer’s co-op and a farm supply store. Besides foodstuffs Coulson expected them to locate much-needed items such as clothing, shoes, winter wear, personal care items, and gardening supplies. There were a number of convenience stores, small restaurants and fast food places they planned to investigate as well. The local pharmacy was a priority and he hoped they would have time to visit the local computer and fabric stores. Both could hold valuable resources they’d need in the long term. 

Coulson was reviewing his notes for the afternoon’s meeting with the expedition’s volunteers when his phone rang. “Coulson,” he answered, his attention still on the details before him.

“I have news,” a dark voice growled demanding attention. 

Coulson stilled for a moment before setting aside his notes and calmly saying, “Director Fury. Good to hear from you, sir.”

“I thought you should know the virus is only viable for 48 hours outside the body. It needs a host to survive. Although, as long as it has a host it’s been deadly 100% of the time,” Director Fury shared.

“That is good to know. We’ve started to gather supplies. Exposure was a concern,” Coulson said.

“We’ve confirmed it was bioterrorism. More than 50 cities were infected at the same time. My bet is Russia or China, although Iran and North Korea could have a hand in it. They’ve all got the means to create something like this. Though I’d like to know how they managed to infect that many cities at the same time without tipping anyone off,” Fury growled, aggravated that something so significant had slipped past him. 

“The BBC reported ISIS was claiming responsibility. Is there any credence to that?” Coulson asked skeptically. 

“No, they don’t have the capability. I highly doubt anyone is going to claim responsibility. No one want’s to admit to this level of a disaster. I think this might have exceeded expectations. I suspect someone wanted to cause mayhem, not decimate the entire continent. Though who knows, maybe they really did mean to kill a few hundred million people,” the director said cynically. 

Fury gave a heavy sigh and said in a resigned tone, “As of right now only about 10 percent of the population has survived at any of the locations we’ve visited. Although, that could change once people start coming out of wherever they’ve holed up. There are bound to be pockets of people spread out throughout the country.” 

“I expect so. I’m hoping we’ll find more survivors in the valley once we start going into the towns,” Coulson said.

“There is some good news, I guess. The virus stayed within the country for the most part. It missed Alaska and Hawaii. Canada had some exposure, but not to the extent we’ve had. They had enough warning. Mexico got hit over the border from California but it’s been surprisingly limited,” Fury shared. “So far the international community has been focused on protecting their borders and hasn’t begun to look at who might have done this. There is a subtle message floating around in the international press that we brought this on ourselves. Some gloating in private is starting to spill out while the governments argue about what they should do,” he said dispassionately. “I wouldn’t expect assistance for a while yet. Washington was decimated. As of right now the only governing arm we have left, that I can find, is the military we had overseas, but they’re being cautious about coming back. Not that I blame them,” the director gruffly conceded. 

“I expected we would be on our own,” Coulson said reticently, adding, “The military response in Colorado and New Mexico has been limited. I suspected that would be the case throughout the country.”

“As of right now, SHIELD seems to have fared better than anyone else. Between you and the helicarrier we’ve saved almost 1000 people. At the moment I think we have the largest population in the country,” Fury shared matter of fact.

Silence weighed heavily between the two men as they contemplated their unlikely survival and the responsibility each of them bore. With a sigh director asked, “How is the town doing?”

“Better than I expected,” Coulson quickly admitted, ready to move on to a more promising topic. “We’ve been able to bring in enough barley and potatoes to feed the town for the winter. Tomorrow we start gathering provisions from neighboring towns. If the weather holds we should be able to gather enough supplemental provisions to see us through the season. The challenge will be finding a place to store everything.”

“Here I thought I was going to make your day. We’re in Kansas. At a milling factory. How much flour would you like us to bring you?” Fury asked expectantly. 

“As much as you can. We’re feeding four hundred people. Anything to supplement our current supplies would be welcome,” Coulson said his posture coming to attention at the offer. 

“I’ll see what we can do. In the meantime, what’s the potato situation? Is there enough there for us?” Fury asked hopefully. 

“There are a number of harvesting centers in the valley that we have yet to investigate. From what we’ve found I suspect there is more than enough for you as well,” Coulson shared. 

“Good. In the meantime, I’ve got some people working on locating grocery shipping-centers and food processing plants. I can’t promise anything but we should be able to bring you something. I’ve also got a group working on gas in Texas. It’s a priority,” the director shared.

“That sounds promising sir,” Coulson said, adding apologetically, “Unfortunately, we don’t have much to offer you in exchange. Coors has a barley harvesting center in the valley. You’ll have to bag it yourself, but we’ve barely scratched the surface of the supplies there. Otherwise, I’m hoping we’ll be able to grow crops this spring. We might be able to trade with you next fall.”

“I know your resources are limited. Planting crops is probably your best bet long term. I can’t see the situation changing much anytime in the future, even if the international community gets involved,” Fury said. 

“Yes, I expected we’d be on our own,” Coulson conceded stoically. He added, “Although, any support you can offer would be most welcome. At some point, we will have difficulty gathering new supplies. This area of the country was sparsely populated. There are few shopping centers nearby.” 

“I’m aware. One of the drawbacks of retreating to someplace so isolated. We’ll do what we can to help. Expect us in a week or so. There are a few other factories I think we should visit first,” the director stated, wrapping up the conversation. 

“Very well. It was good to hear from you sir,” Coulson said.

“I’ll be in touch,” Fury said curtly before hanging up.

Coulson set his phone down slowly, his optimistic mood buoyed further as he reflected on the conversation. If the helicarrier could bring them a supply of flour it would put the town in a very good position. The news from the kitchens was that barley was useable but to make a good bread they needed wheat flour to mix it with. Pulling up a list of buildings they had at their disposal for food storage Coulson designated a room at the school for flour as they had for the barley and potatoes.

It was sobering to consider the rest of the news the director had shared. If only 10% of the country’s population remained, the United States would never retain its position on the world’s stage and would descend into third world status. As big and as rich as the country was, and even with its infrastructure intact for the most part, they wouldn’t have the manpower to maintain it. Coulson had expected as much, but having it confirmed was chilling. There would be few left to run a government, much less negotiate for aid for the entire country. While help might come eventually, it was unlikely anything would reach them before spring. International aid wouldn’t move quickly as the lack of a central authority as well as paranoia over being exposed to the virus would slow any sort of rescue considerably. 

Heartened that Fury was willing to help supply the town, Coulson resolutely got back to work, wanting to be sure he had considered all possibilities. He split their eight semi-trucks up between the grocery and farm stores and returned to the notes strike had provided. During the previous day’s reconnaissance, the team had found a refrigerator truck at one of the grocery stores. The find allowed Coulson to expand his plans to include frozen foods since power was still on in the valley. The development was gratifying as it would provide more variety to meals for the immediate future. 

Coulson’s plan also included confiscating trucks and horse trailers at the co-op and farm store and filling them with supplies from the smaller establishments. From the strike team’s notes, he expected they would be able to add another six trailers to their effort. As promising as his plan was Coulson wished they had another semi-truck for the pharmacy. They needed more hauling capacity. While he planned to use the helicopters to transport most of the volunteers into the town, he’d prefer to fill them with supplies for the return trip and have volunteers return in the semi-trucks and any vehicles they could confiscate. He didn’t want to leave anything in the town they might need. As it was, he planned to have strike return as clearing out the valley’s lone gun and ammunition store would most likely require a considerable amount of time as well an entire semi-truck. 

Returning to his maps, Coulson considered the potato harvesting center that had been full of infected. They had avoided approaching it due to the high concentration of sick. But, now that the infected were dead and they knew the virus couldn’t be spread from the bodies, returning to the site for its semi-trucks was more feasible. Clint had noted that there were five trucks in the center’s courtyard. If they were able to get all of them running, Coulson was sure they would provide more hauling capacity then they needed for this supply run. With the extra trucks, he could assign one specifically to the pharmacy and hold the others in reserve if they found they needed additional space. 

Returning to his plans, Coulson reviewed his list of volunteers. Seeing Darcy was the next to be placed his face softened in fondness as he considered where she would be best utilized. He paired her with Henry to investigate the two local coffee shops and some of the smaller restaurants. Coulson couldn’t think of two better people to bring in coffee supplies. He was sure they’d leave no stone unturned. 

As busy as he was, Coulson’s week had been marked with pleasant interludes. He found himself vacillating between being charmed and disconcerted as he spent time with Darcy, all under the community’s watchful eye. Overall, he was pleased with how their tentative steps toward a relationship were progressing. Although, he still had his reservations about instigating a relationship with someone so young. Yet, it was Darcy’s youthful enthusiasm that drew him to her. She regularly overrode his reservations, leaving him feeling winded and yet looking forward to their next interaction. 

Recalling the brief time he had spent alone with Darcy the previous day, Coulson roughly cleared his throat and tried to concentrate on his work. However, the memory of bright eyes, a faint blush and the soft brush of lips against his cheek thoroughly distracted him. He had come across Darcy at the school during lunch and they had a chance to talk on their short walk back to the coffee shop.

“How is your project going?” Coulson asked expectantly. 

“Good. We’ve lost a bunch of people to other projects – which I totally get and understand they are much more important,” Darcy responded quickly, wanting to be clear she wasn’t upset with the change of circumstances. “Besides, all of the free book providers have crashed. I don’t know how Amazon is still online. Their international branches have to be picking up the slack somehow. That’s the only explanation I can come up with,” she said puzzled. 

“It’s possible. The BBC was reporting the virus has been isolated to the North American continent. If that’s the case, then I suspect Amazon has servers in other countries maintaining the site,” Coulson observed.

“That has to be it. Of all the things to survive the apocalypse, it’s Amazon,” Darcy said wryly.

“From the sounds of things, the rest of the world has survived as well,” Coulson mildly corrected.

“True,” Darcy easily conceded, adding confidently, “But I think we’re going to be alone out here for a while. The international response so far has been to close borders. All flights are grounded. Everything is at a standstill. I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon. Which means, no one is going to be coming to help for a long, long time.”

“Unfortunately, you’re probably correct,” Coulson reluctantly agreed. 

“My political science degree – actually coming in handy,” Darcy said mildly sarcastic, adding with a soft huff, “I’m able to read the writing on the wall and tell you no one in the international community is going to want to tackle rescuing an entire continent. Especially when the virus has a 100% kill rate. It’s just not going to happen. We’re on our own.”

“We’ll manage. Thus far the town is doing well. Plans are in place and we’re moving forward. You shouldn’t worry,” Coulson said trying to reassure her. 

“Oh, I’m not. Not really,” Darcy protested, adding confidently, “I have complete faith in you – and Jane. You guys will do or organize whatever needs to be done. And, I’ll do what I can to help.” With a dismissive shrug she said, “At the moment, I’m still downloading stuff because we have room on the hard drives. I figure we might as well fill them if we can. I’ve moved on to TV shows at this point. But I know pretty soon we’ll have to go into the valley to gather supplies and I plan to volunteer. You’ll need all the able bodies you can get.”

“We will,” Coulson agreed, adding, “But you’ve done fine work on behalf of the community. You’ve been able to save an amazing amount of material. I’ve asked Agent Clark to look into the feasibility of setting up an intranet for the town. We might be able to maintain a simple system that would allow us to communicate as well as give people access to your materials. It’s not something that can happen immediately, but I’m hoping it might be possible.”

“Oh wow. That would be cool if we could do that,” Darcy said turning to him excitedly. 

“It’s a project for this winter,” Coulson hastened to explain, adding, “I can’t foresee us being able to implement it sooner.”

“I get that. There’s a ton to do right now,” Darcy said with a nod of understanding as she came to a stop at the café’s entrance. Turning to Coulson she said hopefully, “So, I’ll see you for dinner?”

“Of course. In the meantime, I thought you might like this,” Coulson said as he took Darcy’s hand and placed a small wrapped chocolate truffle in it.

“Oh. Wow,” Darcy said breathed out in surprise. “Ghirardelli chocolate? I figured these would be gone by now,” Darcy said, thoughtfully looking down at the sweet.

“I believe this is the last of them,” Coulson conceded, trying to gauge her response.

“You shouldn’t give me your chocolate. Don’t you want it?” Darcy protested, looking up at him in concern.

Coulson gave her an appreciative smile and reassured her, “I want you to have it.”

“That’s-” Darcy began to protest but faltered as she took in his hopeful expression. She relented with a tentative smile and glancing down to his face, she slowly leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. Pulling away she held his eye and softly said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Coulson responded with a nod, captivated by the light blush that warmed Darcy’s cheeks. 

She smiled up at him sassily and teased, “You’re going to spoil me. Giving me chocolate. Taking me out for coffee every morning. Wooing me with talk of an intranet.”

“That’s the idea,” Coulson replied confidently, eyes bright with pleasure. He appreciated how Darcy’s blush deepened and with a tilt of his head he asked hopefully, “May I walk you to dinner tonight?”

“Um, yeah,” Darcy said, her voice raising slightly, suddenly nervousness as she smiled up at him, unable to look away as she was captured by his charismatic aura. 

“I’ll see you then,” Coulson said with a secret smile and a warm assessing look before turning to saunter down the walk to the command center. 

He left Darcy standing at the doorway to the café looking after him feeling just a little bit blindsided. She knew Coulson could be charming. But she had never experienced his full attention quite like that before. She felt his heated stare down to her very toes and a shiver went through her that had nothing to do with being cold. 

Coulson stepped away confident his small gift had done its job and helped convey his feelings for Darcy. Her response had been more than he had been hoping for and her pleasure had been gratifying. Coulson particularly appreciated her blush as it made her all the prettier. He hoped he could find a way to surprise her again soon. 

Trying to clear his mind and get back to work Coulson instead remembered Darcy’s delighted grin when he joined her table for dinner earlier in the week only to find Clint regaling her with stories of Coulson’s exploits in the field. That she had been impressed with his feat of disrupting a gas station hold up with a well-aimed bag of flour had privately pleased him. All the while he was keenly aware that Clint could easily veer into less family-friendly stories, of which he would prefer Darcy not be aware of. 

“So tae bo is your super-secret skill? Taking out a couple of guys using flour? I knew you were a badass, but damn,” Darcy said with admiration.

Coulson smiled fondly at Darcy before turning to Clint saying mildly, “I wasn’t aware security clearances had been suspended.”

Clint looked momentarily abashed before rising to the occasion and saying with an unconcerned shrug, “It made it into the police report. It’s public knowledge.”

“I see.”

“Oh, give him a break,” Darcy playfully urged, adding, “I’ve been pestering him for days to find out what your super-secret skill is and finally broke him.” With a confident smirk, she declared, “No one can withstand my interrogation skills.”

“Really? Is that so?” Coulson questioned, adding with serious consideration, “Normally we could put that skill to good use. Unfortunately, we don’t have much cause for it at the moment. You’ll have to rely on your other skill sets. I believe you’re good with a taser?” 

Darcy sagged at the reminder of her taser and said dispiritedly, “Not anymore.”

“What?” Coulson asked in surprise.

“I left it in New Mexico,” Darcy pouted.

Coulson and Clint shared a glance, with the archer giving the agent a slight nod in response before he turned to Darcy saying, “Not that I condone arming civilians but we might have an unclaimed taser or two in storage.”

“Really?” Darcy questioned incredulously. “Man. Just what were you all planning for when you put that stash of yours together? Not that I’m complaining or would say no to a taser but you make a girl wonder about the level of paranoia that went into your planning,” she said looking between the two men for an explanation. 

“SHIELD plans for all contingencies,” Coulson shared flatly, adding, “In this case, we stockpiled military grade survival gear. Including tasers.” 

“Now you have me curious to know what else you have socked away,” Darcy said with a speculative look. 

“Nothing all that interesting,” Coulson said mildly.

“Mostly MREs and guns. The basics for end of the world survival,” Clint shared nonchalantly.

“So, no nail polish?” Darcy asked mockingly, while casually inspecting her nails.

“No. I’m sorry, no one thought to prioritize nail polish,” Coulson responded drily, eyes crinkling as a smile fought to show itself. 

“But, we have heavy duty Kevlar if you need it,” Clint enthusiastically proclaimed. 

“Great. I’m sure it will be this season’s must-have wardrobe accessory,” Darcy said drily. 

Clint grinned, “It’s more comfortable then you’d think. Warm too.”

“Oh, good. Because being cold, while wearing a bulletproof vest was going to be my biggest concern,” Darcy responded sarcastically. 

“I do not foresee any circumstances where you’ll need to wear Kevlar. If you do discover such a situation, please come find me immediately,” Coulson flatly urged. 

Darcy grinned mischievously and said, “What are you going to do, Phil? Make sure it fits right?”

Coulson considered her bright, teasing expression and placidly smiled down at her saying, “That’s one option of many.” 

Delighted, Darcy laughed. “Now you have me curious to know what my other options are.”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Coulson said clearly enjoying their banter.

 

Shifting restlessly at his desk Coulson pulled his thoughts away from Darcy and tried to once again focus on the work before him. That he had spent only short moments alone with Darcy was somewhat disappointing but he had to concede there was little opportunity for them to come together. They were nearly always accompanied by someone and the small town seemed to take great pleasure in watching them from the sidelines. Coulson knew small communities were prone to gossip, SHIELD was not immune to it, but he hadn’t expected the level of interest they had garnished. Luckily, Darcy now seemed to be less disturbed by the attention and for the moment appeared to be able to ignore the nudges, winks and other expressions of encouragement they received. 

Coulson hadn’t been as lucky, as people from the community seemed to be comfortable enough with him to weigh in on the developing relationship. The sheriff, in particular, seemed to enjoy gossiping. 

“Saw you with Darcy again. You might not think you’re dating but the entire town seems to think you are,” the sheriff observed as he leaned against the frame of Coulson’s office door.

Coulson glanced up and then returned to his notes as he cleared his throat and said, “I regularly accompany Miss Lewis and Dr. Foster for coffee. I like to check in on them as they were the only SHIELD civilians we were able to rescue.”

“Huh-huh. You know Phil, it’s ok to be interested in the girl. People like the idea of you two. She’s pretty popular with folks. If they didn’t think you’d be good together, you’d definitely be getting push back by now.” When Coulson didn’t respond the sheriff cautiously questioned, “Is it her age? If it is – you shouldn’t let it stop you. The way things are now, it doesn’t matter. I say be happy while you can.”

Coulson assessed the man before him and seeing he was earnest in his declaration, slowly nodded his head and offered, “Darcy is young, but we enjoy one another’s company.”

The sheriff grinned and said, “Good. She’s a real pistol. She’ll keep you on your toes.”

Coulson shifted awkwardly in his seat and glanced up, commenting, “She does have a way about her.”

With a snort, the sheriff pushed away from the doorway saying, “And, a figure to match. You’re a lucky man Phil.”

Watching the man leave his office a flare of anger sped through Coulson as he didn’t appreciate the man’s parting comment. He had an irrational feeling of possessiveness as he thought of Darcy. He didn’t like the idea of another man seeing what he did in her. To Coulson, she was something special, that he instinctively felt he needed to protect. He immediately reflected on the last time he saw Darcy. She had been settling in at her usual table at the café to work on her downloading project and warning Coulson she’d drag him out of his office for lunch if she didn’t see him at the school later. Her threat amused Coulson and he good-naturedly told her she could try, all the while contemplating his schedule. He came to the satisfying conclusion he not only had time for lunch but that he could take the time to escort her as well. Coulson had left her with the happy expectation he would be seeing her again in just a few short hours. 

If the commentary Coulson had received been limited to the sheriff he would have brushed it off much easier. However, after his meeting with Agent Rivera and the town cooks he was again the center of conversation. 

“Say, Agent Coulson, you wouldn’t happen to know if Darcy got to downloading the cookbooks I asked for?” the head chef asked. 

“I’m sorry, I’m not aware of the specifics of her project. You’ll have to ask her. Although, she did mention she was finished with books and had moved on to TV shows,” Coulson answered. 

“That sounds like she got it done then. There’s a cookbook that specializes in grains. I wanted to experiment, to see what would work best when cooking for large groups.”

“I’m sure Darcy will be in for lunch later,” Coulson offered.

“Will we see you as well?” one of the cooks asked with a coy smile.

“Yes. I should be able to make it. There’s nothing too pressing today,” Coulson replied.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Darcy likes taking you lunch. It’s a bit more intimate,” another woman commented. 

“I’m sorry?” Coulson responded momentarily surprised.

A grandmotherly woman smiled at him in understanding and said, “Your lunch dates. You’re the only one we make a separate lunch for. Darcy’s a doll for taking care of you the way she does.”

Caught off guard Coulson looked blankly at the woman for a second before clearing his throat and saying, “Miss Lewis has been very gracious. I appreciate the extra effort you’ve gone to. I’ll try not to take advantage of your generosity too often.”

“We’re happy to do it. Darcy’s always willing to help out and you’ve definitely earned the right to have a private meal or two. Besides, it’s not like you can take her out to dinner these days. Packing you up a lunch is the least we can do to help out,” the older cook said good-naturedly. 

“Thank you,” Coulson said slowly, unsure how to respond to the woman’s many assumptions and choosing not to address them at all. 

“Oh, our pleasure! If you ever want something special for your girl, just ask. She’s a total sweetheart,” the woman said with an inviting smile as others around her murmured in agreement.

“That’s – kind of you.” 

“It’s just nice to see folks find some happiness in times like these,” the older cook said ending the conversation with a decisive nod. 

Thanking the cooking staff again for their work, and hoping to avoid discussing his personal life further Coulson turned to leave. As he stepped away Rivera caught his eye and followed him out into the hall saying quietly, “You should know most of the agents support you. There’ve been a few that have complained but it’s more out of jealousy than anything else. Everyone likes Darcy.”

Coulson didn’t immediately respond. That agents under his command had noticed who he spent time with was disconcerting, but Coulson had to concede they were all spies; of course, they would take note of anyone that took up his time and attention. Considering Rivera for a moment he said flatly, “I see. Thank you for telling me.”

Recognizing Coulson was tactfully ending the discussion Rivera nodded with an awkward smile and returned to the meeting room. Turning down the corridor to his office Coulson reflected on what he might need to do in regards to SHIELD when one of the strike team approached him saying, “Agent Coulson, do you have a minute?”

Coulson immediately came to attention as one of the strike team reaching out to him was unexpected. Leading the man into his office Coulson said, “Of course, Richardson. What can I do for you?”

Coming to stand at ease before Coulson’s desk the soldier earnestly said, “Well, sir. I don’t want to cause trouble but I thought I should speak up. Most of the guys are cool with you and that girl – Darcy. But there’s talk. Some of the guys don’t like how you get to date and they can’t. They’re doing all the dirty work as it is, so they sort of think they’re getting the shaft, you know?” 

Pausing to take in the soldier’s somber expression Coulson said reticently, “I see. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. In the meantime, how are you and the rest of the team doing? Is there anything you need?”

“We’re pretty much ok,” Richardson said with an indifferent shrug. “I mean, I wouldn’t say no to a beer. Actually, some beer would probably go a long way with the guys, too.”

Coulson considered the soldier before offering, “While I don’t condone alcohol use during active engagements, we’re no longer dealing with normal circumstances. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Yeah? That’d be cool. Thanks,” the soldier said with an appreciative nod.

“Of course. Anything else?”

“No, sir. That’s it,” Richardson said with a shrug, preparing to go.

“Very well. You might let the team know we talked. I’ll do my best to address your concerns,” Coulson suggested. 

“Thank you, sir,” Richardson said with a respectful nod. 

After the soldier left Coulson absently returned to his to his assignment list, but instead considered the situation he found himself in. He had been aware from the beginning his involvement with Darcy would be problematic. Coulson was not setting a good example for the agents under his command as he was breaking his own edict against interpersonal relationships. He needed to address that imbalance as soon as possible if the feedback he received from Rivera and Richardson was accurate. While he still felt it best for agents to avoid interpersonal relationships he couldn’t hold others to a standard he was unable to meet. 

Another concern Coulson had was in order for him to be taken seriously he needed to maintain a certain level of decorum at all times. Given the circumstances they found themselves in, starting a relationship was questionable at best. Coulson had other things to do besides wooing a woman twenty years his junior. While his behavior hadn’t been inappropriate Coulson could see how it might be considered problematic. However, that the community seemed to support the relationship led Coulson to conclude the appearance of impropriety might not be the stumbling block he had expected. 

One worry Coulson struggled with was the difference in their life experience. Darcy’s youth and his status as the leader of the community raised the concern that she was being unduly influenced. He could only hope others saw what he did. Darcy was secure enough in herself that a man’s apparent power would not impact her decisions and she was strong enough not to be easily manipulated. 

Coulson also had to wonder if they had the same expectations when it came to pursuing a relationship. For Coulson their involvement would not simply be dating, but rather a statement of commitment. It might take time for their relationship to evolve fully, but given the circumstances, it was highly unlikely he would initiate another relationship if theirs failed. Darcy, on the other hand, could easily move on as she had her pick of men; many much more suitable in age. 

Another concern was the assumptions people were making. While understandable, they were presumptions as neither he nor Darcy had declared their feelings. The constant comments from the community might deter Darcy from becoming involved with him even after the past week of more overt flirting. The pressure to comply with expectations might become too much for her. While he didn’t think Darcy was playing with him, Coulson could easily see her withdraw if she felt overwhelmed by outside attention. 

As it was, people’s expectations weighed heavily upon him, causing Coulson to question if he was behaving rashly. The fact people were noticing forced him to step back and evaluate why he wanted to be in a relationship. Coulson enjoyed spending time with Darcy. She always found a way to make him momentarily forget the many worries that hung over his head. He enjoyed her quick wit as there were few he liked bantering with more. He also appreciated that she used humor as a means of putting people at ease. That Darcy might appear flighty at times didn’t bother Coulson as he knew she had a keen mind and often hid behind her youthfulness when she felt levity was needed. 

That Darcy had been aware of how dire their situation was from the moment she called him all those weeks ago, weighed heavily in her favor. While Coulson wanted to protect her, he knew he couldn’t shelter her from some of the more horrifying truths of their situation. Darcy was too well grounded to be blinded by wishful thinking and unsubstantiated hope. He recognized and respected the realist in her as he chose to live his life as honestly as possible, even when it was uncomfortable to do so. 

While there were many logical arguments to discourage him from pursuing a relationship with Darcy, Coulson found himself resisting them. And, even though there were plenty of potential roadblocks to circumvent, he still felt the need to reach out to her. When it came down to it Coulson had to admit there was something about Darcy that drew him to her. She had a softness that encompassed her. In their harsh, cruel situation she brought a gentle touch to his day to day that he wasn’t aware he needed until she was there. That all of her attributes came in an attractive package only reinforced his attraction to her. Darcy was everything he hadn’t realized he wanted until she was put directly in his path. Looking at a potential relationship with her from as many angles as possible and considering the troubles it might cause Coulson still concluded he’d be a fool to walk away from her now. 

Determinedly returning to his assignment list, Coulson cleared his mind and placed Clint with the semi-truck designated for the pharmacy. While doing so he reflected the archer would be well placed to keep tabs on Darcy from his location. The coffee shops and restaurants she would be investigating were within blocks of his location. With an internal sigh, Coulson accepted work was going to be a challenge that morning as everything kept circling back to Darcy.


	10. Isn't Looting Supposed to Be More Fun?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple trip scavenging takes many turns and Darcy gets an unwanted admirer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and patient brainstorming. Special thanks to her husband for the medical advice!

Darcy would like it on record that it was not her fault. She had been doing what she was supposed to be doing. 

The day had started out upbeat. The weather was bright and clear and the mood charged with expectation as volunteers gathered after breakfast to disembark for Monte Vista. The plan was to transport everyone via helicopter and meet the strike team and their semi-trucks in the town to gather supplies. Darcy was looking forward to getting started and was ready to tackle the list Agent Rivera had given her. As people milled about preparing to leave, Darcy caught Phil’s eye and flashed him an excited grin but kept her distance, knowing he was busy. She had missed sharing their usual morning coffee but understood his attention was needed elsewhere. Instead, Darcy had spent the early part of her morning reassuring Jane she would be just fine and encouraged her to focus on the high school’s greenhouse. Darcy was confident they would be coming back with seeds, and they needed to plant as soon as possible. 

It took some time to convey everyone to the nearby town and locate additional transportation, but eventually, groups headed off to their assigned stops. They found eerily silent streets as they made their way through the small town, putting a damper on the buoyant mood. Unease crept over Darcy as she and Henry pulled up to a café in their confiscated pickup truck and horse trailer. A sense of dread weighed on her as she considered what they might find. The strike team had already verified there were no dead or infected in the area when they opened the stores the previous day, but the possibility lingered. 

The idea of simply going into a business to take whatever she wanted was also unsettling as it was an unnerving reminder of why they came to be there. It was much easier to ignore the reality of what the virus had done holed up in Creede, miles away from civilization. But faced with empty streets and businesses, the truth was difficult to ignore. The town was uninhabited because everyone was dead. They were able to take what they wanted simply because there was no one left to stop them. 

It was with trepidation that Darcy followed Henry into the dark cafe. She found it was like any other coffee shop. Front counter, pastry case, a large espresso machine, coffee mugs on display and some tables and chairs. There was nothing noteworthy about the shop other than it being disturbingly quiet. They found a few hundred pounds of bulk coffee in the back storeroom along with a variety of prepackaged coffees. Boxes of sweeteners and syrups, as well as an assortment of teas, cookies, candy and snacks, were also part of their haul. 

After double checking that they had taken everything of value, Darcy was struck at how normal the shop still seemed. Coffee cups were still on display and all the chairs and tables were aligned just so. It wasn’t until you looked closer that it became apparent there wasn’t any coffee on the shelves and only dried out pastries sat in the front case. The shop had an abandoned air to it and Darcy was disconcerted knowing she would probably be the last person to visit the café for a long time to come. With an uneasy glance back into the shop Darcy let the door swing shut behind her and joined Henry to move on to their next stop. 

The next café and the restaurants that followed held a treasure trove of supplies. Besides coffee, they found hundreds of pounds of canned foods as well as a large assortment of sugars, spices, and cooking oils. Having worked their way through the downtown restaurants, Henry directed them north to a small diner on the edge of town, near the potato harvesting centers. Pulling up they found a few cars in the parking lot but the diner looked like all of the other businesses they had visited; void of life, simply waiting for them to rediscover it. 

Feeling on edge Darcy followed Henry through the kitchen to the back room where they again found a variety of canned goods and cooking supplies. Spying a door at the end of the storage room, Darcy opened it to see what else there might be only to freeze at the sight before her. As the smell assaulted her, Darcy watched as a man gnawed at the stomach of a ravaged person lying on the floor. Stunned, she stood numbly in the doorway watching as the man looked up, blood and gore dripping down his chin and neck, confusion on his face. Just as he let out a roar and lunged toward her, Henry pushed Darcy out of the way and slammed the door. Grabbing her hand he ran from the storeroom dragging her behind him, leaving the man pounding incoherently on the door. As they left the kitchen behind them Darcy was shaken from her stupor and picked up her pace, following Henry out of the diner. They threw themselves into the truck, slamming their doors behind them, shaking as they tried to get their bearings. 

“Oh god,” Darcy breathed out, horrified, while Henry hurriedly started the truck. 

Peeling out of the parking lot Henry frantically asked, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” Darcy replied weakly, still not quite believing what she had seen. Taking a breath she purposely tried to calm down before saying with voice cracking in dismay, “He was eating someone.” 

“We’re not going back,” Henry said resolute, shaking his head in denial. “We’ll let Coulson know we didn’t get this place. Someone else can come clean it out – later.”

Turning the truck back toward the center of town silence weighed heavily between the pair as they contemplated what they had seen. While their task of collecting food and coffee had unnerved Darcy somewhat, as the day had progressed it had become commonplace to go into the storage rooms of abandoned restaurants. Her discovery left her shaken and sickened as the memory of what she had seen kept replaying in her mind. The smell clung to her as the man’s blood-covered face swam before her eyes. Gagging she rolled down the window hoping the fresh air would wipe away the memory of room’s putrid scent. 

In theory, Darcy knew people were eating people. But to actually see it; to witness the animalistic behavior shook her to her core. She never dreamed it would be so horrific and desperately wished she had never seen it. Suddenly, the past month’s worries seemed like nothing more than a light fairy tale in comparison to the horror she had just witnessed. She was profoundly grateful she and Jane had been in the desert camping when the virus initially hit, so she missed experiencing just how horrible it truly was. It was so much worse than anything she had imagined.

Pulling their truck and horse trailer up to a semi-truck parked before the pharmacy, Darcy and Henry sat for a moment, emotionally exhausted, crashing from their fear spurred adrenalin rush. After starring blindly out the windshield Henry gave a resigned sigh and opened his door saying, “I guess we should get this unloaded. We’ve got a couple more stops to make.”

Silently following after him Darcy rounded the truck to see Clint coming down the ramp of the semi-trailer pushing a dolly. Smiling at her hopefully he said, “Please tell me you found coffee.” Taking in her pinched, pale face and Henry’s disquiet, Clint came to a stop and asked worriedly, “What happened?”

Henry just shook his head as he opened up the back of the trailer leaving Darcy to answer. Taking a breath Darcy grimaced and said haltingly, “There was a zombie at our last stop. He was – he was eating someone.”

Shocked, Clint worriedly exclaimed, “Did he attack you?”

“No. Well. Yes. He tried. But, we’re fine,” Darcy replied shakily. “We ran as soon as we saw him. Someone else is going to have to go back later – we left a lot of supplies there.”

“Who cares? Are you two ok?” Clint asked earnestly as he came forward to grasp Darcy’s arm to confirm for himself she was fine. 

Darcy nodded her head, tears suddenly threatening. Annoyed, she quickly wiped her eyes and took a shaky breath. Standing straighter she declared, “We found a ton of coffee. You better have room because I’m not leaving it behind.”

Taking his cue from Darcy, Clint let his concern go and said carelessly, “Yeah, we’re barely half full. We’re going to be able to go over to the Family Dollar store Coulson was talking about. “

“Awesome, he’ll be happy to hear that,” Darcy said with forced enthusiasm as she took the dolly from his hands.

“Hey Darcy!” suddenly came a voice from inside the semi-truck. 

Looking up in trepidation Darcy saw Michael, the young man she had spoken to a handful of times, standing at the top of the truck ramp, apparently excited to see her. “Oh. Hi. Didn’t see you there,” she responded weakly, internally wincing as she had tried to discourage his attentions at dinner previously, but he apparently hadn’t gotten the message she wasn’t interested.

“Wow, you found a lot of stuff. Let me help you with that,” Michael said, coming down the ramp, bypassing Clint to manhandle the dolly away from her.

“Ok,” Darcy said disconcertedly, stepping to the side, not wanting to object to the help but put off by the young man’s high handedness. 

Catching her eye Clint smirked and said, “Hey Michael, I think the doc could use some help getting his boxes out here, why don’t you check on him. We’ve got this.”

The young man scowled slightly before turning to reassure Darcy, “I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll be here,” Darcy said halfheartedly as Henry handed her a box. Glancing back at Clint she commented, “We needed that dolly.”  


Clint shrugged unconcernedly as he took the box from her saying, “Hey. I thought I was doing you a favor. By the time he gets back you’ll probably be done.” 

The pair, along with Henry, gradually unloaded the horse trailer, stacking their boxes near the ramp to the semi-trailer. Eventually, Darcy and Clint climbed into the larger trailer to transfer the boxes as Henry handed them up. Darcy was just taking another box from Henry to hand back to Clint when Michael pushed the loaded dolly up the ramp saying, “Oh hey, let me take that. You shouldn’t be up here. Us guys got it.”

Annoyed Darcy turned away and handed a box back to Clint saying, “This is what I’m here for.”

Michael came to a stop at the lip of the truck to nudge her out of the way to take the next box from Henry. “I got this,” he assured her.

“I’m fine,” Darcy insisted, reluctantly stepping back into the trailer with a frustrated frown.

“It’s no big deal. Happy to help,” Michael said with a grin as he handed the box back to Clint.

Darcy ignored him and stepped forward to take the next box Henry was handing up. 

“Here, let me take that. You don’t have to do it,” Michael said, reaching to pull the box from her hands.

“I said, I’m fine,” Darcy repeated heatedly, taking a slight step to the side. 

Annoyed Michael gave the box a sharp tug, saying, “I’m trying to help you.”

Darcy resisted and pulling away from him bounced off the edge of the trailer and lost her balance as Michael abruptly yanked the box from her hands.

With wide eyes, and flailing arms Darcy tried to catch herself as she went over the lip of the truck.

“Darcy!” Clint yelled as he rushed from the back of the trailer, bypassing Michael who stood gaping, looking over the edge.

Henry reached Darcy first, and carefully turned her over asking worriedly, “Are you ok?”

Holding her arm to her chest, face crumpled in pain, Darcy tearfully gasped, “No. I don’t think so.”

“Shit,” Clint said, coming to crouch next to her. “What hurts? Is it your arm?” he asked, hands hovering over her, not quite touching.

Blinking back tears Darcy grasped her right wrist and croaked, “Yeah.”

“Can you move it?” Clint asked urgently.

“Um. I don’t know,” Darcy said through tears, shaking her head, looking up at him worriedly.

“I was trying to help her,” Michael complained, looking down from the trailer.

“Go get the doctor,” Clint growled out with a dark glance up at the young man.

As Michael rushed off Clint tentatively reached out and gently grasped Darcy’s right hand and asked, “Can you feel that?”

“Yeah,” Darcy said with a contemplative frown.

“Ok. Good. That’s good. The doc will be here any minute. Just hold on, ok?” Clint said, trying to reassure Darcy as Henry picked up her glasses and slid them on her face.

“Here, let me through,” the old doctor said, waving Henry away. “Hey, there girly. What are you doing lying on the ground?” he asked kindly as he knelt at Darcy’s side. 

“I fell,” Darcy responded weakly.

“Hurt your arm did you? Let’s take a look,” the doctor said as he carefully pulled her left hand away to look at her right arm. 

Hissing in pain, Darcy watched as he gently took her elbow and hand and quietly probed her arm before asking, “Can you feel this?”

“Yeah.”

“Good,” the doctor said with a nod as he carefully took her pulse on her right wrist. After a moment he nodded confidentially and said, “Your pulse is a bit fast but it’s to be expected. Now can you move your wrist?”

“Um,” Darcy said as she looked at her arm in consternation only to gasp as she tried to move it and gulped, “Nope. And that really hurts.”

“How about here? Can you move your elbow?”

“Yeah,” Darcy said through tears as she slowly moved her arm up and down.

Cautiously feeling her forearm the doctor said, “Looks like you’ve got a broken arm. 

“Great,” Darcy said, voice cracking in dismay.

“We’ll get you fixed up. Now, did you hit your head? Looks like you have the start of a bump,” the doctor said, tentatively probing her forehead at her hairline.

Jerking back in surprise Darcy laughed brokenly and said, “That didn’t hurt until you touched it.”

“Looks like you’ll have a bit of a goose egg there. But you’re seeing ok? Headache? Dizzy?”

“No. I can see fine. My head doesn’t hurt except where you touched it.”

“Good. Anything else hurt?”

“I – I don’t think so,” Darcy said hesitantly. 

“That’s fine. We’re going to let you rest here for a bit. I’ll get you some pain meds and cold packs to help with the swelling. We’ll get you taken care of.”

“Ok,” Darcy faintly replied.

“Let me call Coulson,” Clint said, standing as he pulled out his phone. “Where’s the nearest hospital?”

“Well, there’s one in Del Norte. About 20 miles west of here,” the doctor said uneasily. He added more assuredly, “But, we can do x-rays at the clinic back in town. With any luck, I can set it there.”

“Yeah. Let’s hope you can do that. I’d hate to go to a hospital right now. Who knows what we’d find,” Clint grimaced as he held his phone to his ear.

“Coulson,” came a voice over the line.

“Hey. We’ve got a problem,” Clint said getting right to the point. Stepping away he said quietly, “Darcy fell. The doctor thinks she broke her arm. He said he can do x-rays back in Creede but we need transportation.”

The line was silent for a moment before Coulson asked, “Where are you?”

“We’re still at the pharmacy.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. Is she stable?”

“Yeah. The doc thinks she’s ok, mostly. As of right now, it doesn’t look like a head injury. She hasn’t gone into shock or anything,” Clint assured him.

“Good. I’ll be right there.”

Ending the call, Clint knelt next to Darcy and said, “Coulson’s on his way. We’ll get you back to town and the doc will have you patched up in no time.”

Darcy looked up at him through teary eyes and asked hopefully, “Phil’s coming?” 

“He’ll be here in a minute,” Clint promised.

“I can drive her and the doc back,” Michael offered eagerly as he came to stand over them.

Irritated, Clint rolled his eyes at Darcy before saying dismissively, “Yeah, not going to happen. We still have work to do. Why don’t you go get another load?”

“Someone has to drive them,” Michael protested.

“You’re not. You’ve helped enough already,” Clint bit out.

With an annoyed huff, Michael stalked up the ramp of the trailer, quickly unloaded the dolly he had brought out earlier and stomped back into the pharmacy. 

Henry sighed and offered, “Michael means well. He’s just not good with social cues. Never has been.”

“Yeah, well he should have been more careful. Darcy was fine,” Clint growled.

Nodding in agreement Henry said, “I think he thought he was being chivalrous.”

“He was being an idiot,” Clint snapped as a large white, four-door pickup truck pulled up to the curb. 

Coulson and the sheriff quickly approached and with a concerned nod at Clint and Henry came to stand over Darcy. Coulson knelt next to her and as he anxiously looked her over asked, “How are you?” 

Grimacing, Darcy said ruefully, “I’m fine. I broke my arm.”

Gently stroking her hair back from her forehead Coulson’s hand hovered over the growing bump and with a pinched look asked, “How’s your head?” 

“It’s ok. It only hurts a little,” Darcy said dismissively. Frowning in consternation she added quietly, “I know this is the last thing you need right now.”

“Accidents happen,” Coulson replied reassuringly as his hand came to rest gently on her shoulder. Glancing up and realizing they were surrounded by a small audience Coulson pulled away and asked, “Where’s the doctor?”

Darcy immediately noticed Phil’s withdrawal and missed his reassuring touch. While she felt badly for pulling him away from his work, his presence set her at ease. She just wished circumstances were different. 

“The doc’s getting her some pain killers and stuff. He said something about cold packs,” Clint answered.

With an understanding nod, Coulson glanced at the boxes surrounding them and trying to distract Darcy said, “I take it you found some coffee.”

Happy to confirm their success Darcy smiled weakly and replied, “We found a ton. A bunch of canned food, too.”  


“I thought you might.”  


With a tentative frown, Darcy added dejectedly, “We didn’t finish. There was – there was a zombie at the last stop.”

“What?” Coulson asked aghast.

“He was eating someone,” Darcy explained shakily, revisiting the horror and revulsion she had felt as she fleetingly remembered the scene. 

“Are you ok?” Coulson asked urgently, leaning forward to grasp her shoulder as if to reassure himself she was unharmed.

Shaking her head to deny she was injured, Darcy said, “I’m fine. Henry grabbed me and we ran for the truck.”

Glancing up at Henry, Coulson nodded in acknowledgment of the man’s quick thinking and said, “Did you touch anything that might have been infected?”

“I don’t think so?” Darcy responded worriedly.

“He was contained in a back office. We just opened the door and closed it. I think we’re fine,” Henry said. He added resigned, “We should probably go back. Later. There was a lot there.”

“It can wait. It’s more important to limit exposure. I’m just glad you’re both ok,” Coulson said. 

“Here we go,” the doctor said as he quickly approached with an armful of supplies. Kneeling next to Darcy he opened a bottle of water and handed her some medication saying, “This will help some. And, we’ll put you in a sling to stabilize it.”

Helping Darcy sit up Coulson frowned when she hissed in pain at the change in position. Frustrated that there was little he could do to comfort her, Coulson kept a close eye on Darcy as doctor maneuvered her into the sling and gently added an ice pack. He hovered at her side, resisting the urge to reach out to touch her, to reassure himself she would be ok. 

“Why don’t we get her up and in the truck?” the sheriff suggested, adding, “Are you going to drive her and the doc back?” 

Coulson hesitated before standing and said reluctantly, “I wanted to check on things at the second grocery store.”

“Rivera’s taking care of the grocery stores. And, you found the seeds you were looking for. There’s nothing more you can do here, Phil. Go with the girl. We’ll be fine,” the sheriff urged.

Coulson was silent for a long moment as he contemplated the situation. While he wanted to accompany Darcy there were a number of details he had planned to see to personally. Coulson was also keenly aware that some might accuse him of putting his personal relationship ahead of his responsibilities if he suddenly left. Yet worry for Darcy overrode his other concerns. Her injury coupled with the news of her near miss with an infected shook him. He wasn’t ready to leave her side, no matter the reason. 

“Someone else can drive. I know you’re busy,” Darcy said, not wanting to be a bother and recognizing Coulson was torn over what he should do. As comforted as Darcy was by his presence, she didn’t want to be a distraction when he had work to do. 

“I can drive her,” Michael quickly volunteered, having come to stand at the fringe of the group. 

Clint glanced darkly at the young man before turning to say, “Coulson go.” Grinning down at Darcy he added, “You’re driving a white pickup truck. That’s about as close to a white knight as we’re going to get around here. You have to take her.”

Darcy huffed out a laugh and then grimaced in pain as she glanced up at Coulson, curious to see how he would take the assessment. She appreciated Clint’s effort to bring a bit of lightheartedness into what was turning out to be a fraught-filled afternoon. At the same time, she internally winced at his referring to Coulson as her white knight. As much as Darcy might like it, she wasn’t so sure he would appreciate being referred to as such in public. 

Coulson ignored Clint’s comment. He was vacillating between following through on the day’s plans and seeing to Darcy personally. He was feeling particularly protective and inclined to follow his impulse to look after her. Michael’s eagerness to step in grated at his sensibilities as well. While Coulson knew he had nothing to worry about from that quarter, he felt the need to make his position clear in regards to Darcy. With a contemplative frown, he nodded before saying decisively, “I’ll drive. We need to know what we’re dealing with as soon as possible. We might need to open the hospital yet today.”

“Yeah, that’s something we probably want to avoid,” Clint commented with a wince.

Coulson glanced over at the man in commiseration, both aware if any infected were still alive it would most likely be at the hospital. People inevitably went there for help and were likely exposed to the virus instead. Coulson had planned to wait another week or two before approaching the hospitals to hopefully forego the possibility of running across anyone that had been infected in the later stages of the plague. But, if Darcy needed surgery to set the arm properly they wouldn’t have much choice but to go in. 

With a concerned glance at the doctor, he asked, “What about an MRI? Does she need one?”

“No. I think she’ll be fine. I don’t think she took much of a hit to the head,” the doctor responded.

Coulson’s stance relaxed minutely at the news, and he bent to help Darcy up. She hissed in pain as she came to her feet and he pulled her closer as if hoping he could ward off her distress. Darcy leaned into him, taking comfort where she could, appreciating his warmth and the reassurance he conveyed. Once Darcy was situated in the backseat of the truck Coulson pulled the sheriff, Clint and Henry aside to discuss some of the plans he needed them to see to while he was gone. He was hopeful their efforts might offset his decision to leave early. 

 

As they drove back to Creede, Darcy broke the silence saying, “I’m sorry. I know you had a ton of stuff to do today. This is the last thing you needed.”

“It’s fine. Accidents happen,” Coulson earnestly replied, wanting to reassure Darcy he wasn’t upset with her. 

“You’re lucky you didn’t hit your head harder, falling from that height,” the doctor observed.

“I was perfectly fine until Michael decided I shouldn’t help,” Darcy complained.

“What?” Coulson asked, recognizing from Darcy’s tone there was more to the story.

“I don’t know what his deal was. He kept insisting that I shouldn’t be up there and tried to get me to stop loading boxes, which is when I fell,” Darcy griped, irritated.

The doctor sighed and said regretfully, “Michael probably thought he was helping. He gets a little one-track minded sometimes.”

“Well, I told him I was fine but he didn’t listen. I volunteered to help, not stand around and watch everyone else work,” Darcy groused.

“It might take you telling him point blank to let you be,” the doctor said, adding, “Back in high school he got focused on a girl. Her parents eventually had to set him straight.”

“Great,” Darcy muttered sarcastically.

“How worried do we need to be?” Coulson asked. “Is he likely to get violent?”

“Michael? No. He’s not violent. My guess is that with everything going on he’s feeling unsure about things and has focused on Darcy. I’d like to tell you he’ll let things go after this but it’s unlikely. Someone is going to need to sit him down and talk to him.”

“Only I could get a stalker in a town this small,” Darcy muttered sarcastically.

The doctor snorted and offered, “The good news is everyone knows everyone’s business so people will look out for you.”

Darcy laughed and said ruefully, “So being chaperoned 24/7 has its perks. That’s what you’re telling me?”

“Something like that. People like you. You’ve made it clear you want to be part of the community and you’ve done some good work with that book project of yours. People know that. They’ll keep an eye on you – and him.”

“Darcy, don’t be alone with him. And, if you do feel threatened by him - say something. Don’t feel like you have to handle him on your own,” Coulson said seriously as he caught Darcy’s eye in the rearview mirror.

“I’ll talk to him. It sounds like everyone sort of knows what’s going on so I should be fine,” Darcy said confidently.

Coulson nodded, trusting Darcy would know if she could deal with the young man. He glanced in the rearview mirror to catch her eye again and asked worriedly, “You’re alright, otherwise? You’re sure you didn’t touch anything in the restaurant?”

“Oh. I’m fine,” Darcy rushed to reassure him, immediately understanding Coulson was worried that she might have been exposed to the virus. “I just opened a door to an office. And Henry shut it. And then we ran. We were in the building less than two minutes.”

“You probably weren’t exposed to the virus if the man was contained,” the doctor observed.

“The rest of the restaurant was empty. Strike must have missed him yesterday when they did their walkthrough,” Darcy said.

“This was the kind of thing we were trying to avoid,” Coulson commented darkly, disturbed that Darcy had been in so much danger. 

“Well, luckily Henry acted fast. I totally froze. The guy tried to grab me but Henry got the door shut in time,” Darcy said nonchalantly. 

Appalled, Coulson looked at her via the rearview mirror and said, “That sounds like it was a lot more serious than just opening a door.”

“Oh. Well. He was on the floor? Eating - someone,” Darcy cautiously explained, adding, “We sort of stared at one another for a minute before he jumped at me. But then Henry pushed me out of the way and slammed the door. And, then we ran. I don’t think the guy got out of the office. He was still in the building when we left at least.” 

“That could have ended very badly,” Coulson observed pensively, unnerved by Darcy’s description of events. 

“Yeah,” Darcy slowly agreed, clearly still shaken for all her bravado. “I think it’s just the sort of thing we need to be prepared for. I knew when I volunteered something could happen,” Darcy said quietly, regretting she had gone into detail and feeling like she was causing even more trouble for Coulson. 

“Yes, but volunteers have a certain expectation of safety,” Coulson asserted, unconvinced by her argument. “You shouldn’t have been exposed to that level of threat.”

“Maybe,” Darcy conceded before offering, “We’ll just have warn people to be on the lookout from now on.”

Not particularly mollified Coulson let the topic drop after catching Darcy’s eye in the rearview mirror and seeing how tired and drawn she was. While worry ate at him over the day’s events, he recognized there was nothing he could do after the fact. And, Darcy was right. People would need to be prepared to deal with a variety of dangers if they volunteered. No matter how careful they were, no one’s safety was guaranteed. 

 

Arriving at Creede’s clinic the doctor ushered Darcy into a small room as Coulson stood off to the side with a contemplative frown as he took in the few spartan rooms that made up the town’s medical center. He had only given the town’s available medical treatment abilities cursory attention as he had been preoccupied with bringing in foodstuffs. But now, faced with how sparse its resources were, he had some concerns. 

Stepping out to give Darcy some privacy while the x-rays were being taken Coulson took a short tour of the remaining rooms and began to consider the list he had back in his office of medical supplies he hoped to gather. With such a small building he also had concerns about where they would put the provisions they did find.

The doctor was silently scowling at the x-rays when Coulson came to lean against the door jamb of the exam room. “How bad is it doctor? Can you set it here or is Darcy going to need surgery?”

The doctor pulled off his glasses and rubbed his face for a moment before saying resignedly, “She needs surgery. The radius is splintered and the ulna broke close to the wrist.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Coulson observed.

“It’s not. And, I haven’t done surgery since my intern days,” the doctor said with a regretful sigh. Holding up his hands he added resigned, “These aren’t the steadiest either. But to set it correctly she’ll need surgery.”

Darcy didn’t comment and looked pensively down at her cradled arm. Coulson was quiet for a moment before asking, “Does the surgery need to be done immediately or does she have some time?”

“We’ll need to wait for the swelling to go down so it’s going to be at least a few days before we can get in there. I’ll put her in a temporary cast and give her some pain meds. That should see her through.”

“If it can wait I might have another solution,” Coulson offered.

Both the doctor and Darcy looked at Coulson in surprise, each clearly wondering what he had in mind. 

“I’ve been in touch with another group from SHIELD. They’re better equipped than we are. If the surgery can wait a few days they would have the means to take care of her,” Coulson explained.

“If you can get a surgeon in that would be for the best,” the doctor said hopefully, adding, “It can wait a week to ten days without any problem. Longer, and it could be an issue.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Coulson said as he pulled out his phone and stepped out into the hall. Quickly dialing, he was greeted with a gruff voice saying, “Fury.”

“Director. Good afternoon.” 

“Coulson? Surprised to hear from you.”

“We have a situation. Were you still planning to arrive within the next week?” Coulson asked worriedly. 

“That’s the plan. Why? What do you need?”

“A civilian was injured. Broken arm. The doctor says she’ll need surgery but he’s a retired family doctor. He’s not confident in his surgical skills. There are also some concerns about what we might find at the nearest hospital. We’ve been avoiding it for now,” Coulson explained.

“I see. I had planned to make a few more stops. But if it’s an emergency we can be there within a day,” Fury offered.

“Actually, surgery can wait. We’ve a week to ten day window,” Coulson clarified. 

“If that’s the case, then we’ll stick to our original plan.”

“That should be fine.” 

“I have some good news. One of the techs found a sugar plant in northern Colorado. Apparently, they grow beets up there. Plan on us bringing you some.”

“Sugar would be most welcome,” Coulson replied with mild enthusiasm. 

“I thought it might. There’s talk of apple orchards somewhere in your area as well. With any luck, we might find a warehouse. We’ll have to see.”

“We’ll find room for anything you can bring us,” Coulson assured him, adding, “We’ve just started to send groups out to collect supplies. Today was our first day scavenging local stores.”

“What have you found?” Fury questioned, curious. 

“Limited stock. What you’d expect from a small town. Strike found a few infected still alive when they did their sweep through the business district yesterday. I imagine the neighborhoods are a different story. We’re avoiding them.”

“So far the warehouses we’ve visited are, for the most part, clear. Survivors are finding us when they see us stop. So far we only have a handful.”

“I’m hopeful we’ll find survivors. But it’s early yet.”

“Agreed. Well, let me know if you need us there sooner. Otherwise, plan on us in about week.”

“Very good sir.”

A sense of calm settled over Coulson as he ended the call. He was relieved to know that Darcy would receive the needed medical care once SHIELD arrived. Returning to the exam room Coulson found the doctor carefully wrapping Darcy’s arm in plaster. Darcy was laughing good-naturedly as she complained about how cold it was; which was reassuring. She might have been shaken by the past few hours, but her resilient disposition was carrying her through. 

The doctor glanced in his direction and asked, “So? Am I doing surgery?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Coulson replied, adding, “A group from SHIELD should be here in about a week and they have a surgeon.”  


“Good. That would be for the best.”

“What’s her prognosis?” Coulson asked. 

The doctor smiled down at Darcy and said, “Darcy’ll be fine. I’ve got her arm stabilized and she’ll need to take it easy the next few days. And, there are some meds I can give her for the pain. There isn’t much else we can do.”

“I’m ok, Phil. The doc gave me a shot and I can barely feel it at the moment,” Darcy assured him.

“Good,” Coulson said with a nod.

“The worse part of this is going to be telling Jane. She doesn’t do well with stuff like this,” Darcy said.

“How so?”

“Oh, she just gets all worried and flustered. I think it’s the engineer in her, not being able to fix something,” Darcy explained.

“I see.”

“She’ll be fine in a day or two. But I should probably tell her before she hears it from someone else. I’ll call her after this.”

 

Darcy was silent after they left the clinic, only muttering a quiet thank you every time Coulson got a door for her. She was grateful for the calm strength he exuded as she didn’t feel she had to speak or exert any more energy than necessary. Exhaustion was starting to creep up on Darcy as her injury and long day caught up with her. 

Arriving at her apartment, Darcy settled on to the couch with a soft sigh, face pale and brow puckered, clearly in more pain than she was admitting to. Taking his cue from Darcy, Coulson didn’t mention it but hastened to try to comfort her and quickly gathered some pillows to prop up her arm. Seeing her grapple with her pocket for her phone he reached out to help, only to abruptly withdraw realizing he was infringing on her personal space. 

Darcy laughed off his discomfort saying, “It’s cool. I could use some help. Can you get my phone? I can’t reach it.”

“Of course,” Coulson replied, as he reached to extract Darcy’s phone from her left front pocket. With it came a bright red, white and clear plastic wrapper, folded into a neat square.

“Oh!” Darcy exclaimed, awkwardly attempting to grab the wrapper as it fell to the floor.

Coulson bent to pick it up the bit of paper, puzzled by her reaction over something so mundane. It took a moment for him to realize he was holding a Ghirardelli truffle wrapper. Surprised, he immediately recognized it was from the chocolate he had given Darcy a little over a week ago. Taking in Darcy’s blush, a surge of affection welled up in Coulson as he realized she had saved the wrapper as a small keepsake. Handing it to her, he simply smiled and stepped into the kitchenette to get her a glass of water. 

Mortified, Darcy sat looking down at the bit of paper and glanced up at Coulson, unsure what to say. When he didn’t comment Darcy discretely tucked the wrapper into her right pocket and looked intently at her phone. As Coulson set a glass of water on the coffee table before her she said, “Thank you - for everything. I know this is the last thing you needed to deal with today. I’ll be fine here. I’m just going to give Jane a call and let her know what’s going on.”

Looking somewhat disconcerted now that there was nothing more he could do Coulson said, resigned, “I should get back to command. You have my number if you need anything.”

“I’ll be fine, Phil,” Darcy assured him with a tired, yet appreciative smile. She didn’t necessarily want him to leave, but there was nothing more for him to do and she knew he was needed elsewhere. Leaning back into the couch she added, “I’ll put on the TV and call Jane. Dinner’s in a couple of hours. I’ll see you then.”

 

Moments after Coulson left, Darcy dropped her head back against the sofa with a groan and laughed quietly to herself. She had kept the truffle wrapper on impulse. She had found herself idly playing with it while she worked and had simply kept it. It had been a reminder of the pleasure she had felt when Phil had given her the candy. Even now a surge of flustered excitement sped through her when she remembered the look on Phil’s face when he gave her the small treat. Though now she wondered what he must think of her, holding on to such an insignificant thing. She was appalled that he knew as it seemed like such a juvenile thing to do. Still, she was sure he had looked pleased when he handed it back to her, which was somewhat reassuring. 

Hoping for a distraction she turned on the TV. The Denver station was still on the air and was playing an episode of Friends. Its laugh track grated and after the day’s events, its lightheartedness was jarring. Desperate for something else to watch Darcy flipped through the channels, only to find static. Giving up, Darcy muted the television, awkwardly picked up her phone, and mentally prepared herself to call Jane, knowing the scientist was not going to take her news well. Darcy was unsurprised when the call rang through to voice mail. She hung up and tried again, knowing it always took Jane a while to recognize her phone was ringing. 

A confused voice finally came over the line saying, “Hello?”

“Hey there, Janey. How are you doing?”

“Darcy?” Jane said in surprise.

“Yeah. Hey. How are things out at the school?”

“They’re fine. Why are you calling me?” Jane asked worriedly.

“Yeah. So here’s the thing. I’m fine. Ok?”

“Darcy, when you start off by telling me you’re fine I know you’re not. What’s going on?” Jane demanded.

“No, really. I’m fine,” Darcy insisted. “I just had a small accident and I wanted to tell you before you heard it from anyone else.”

“How small of an accident?” Jane asked skeptically.

“I broke my arm,” Darcy said matter of fact. She rushed to explain, “But, I’m perfectly fine. Already got a cast and everything. Phil brought me back, and the doctor took x-rays, and I’m all taken care of.”

“You broke your arm?! Oh my god, Darcy. What happened?”

“I fell. Out of the back of a semi. But, it was totally not my fault,” Darcy said disgruntled. “Do you remember Michael? The guy from dinner? Apparently, he’s the local stalker. At least according to the doctor. He thought I shouldn’t be up in the truck and I ended up losing my balance when he tried to get me to leave.” 

“Stalker?! I’ll be there are as soon as I can.”

“No, don’t Jane. I’m fine,” Darcy insisted. “There isn’t anything you can do. I’m just going to hang out on the couch and I’ll probably be asleep in a minute. The meds the doctor gave me are kicking in.”

“Are you sure you should be alone right now?” Jane asked worriedly. 

“Yes, I’m fine. Phil’s been looking after me. He got me some pillows and water. And, my meds are right here so I can take them later. There isn’t anything you can do. I just wanted you to know.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. I’m probably just going to sleep,” Darcy assured her.

“If you’re sure,” Jane said hesitantly. 

“I’ll be fine.”

 

Knowing there was little else he could do, Coulson returned to his office to begin to evaluate what they had accomplished on their first supply run. As hoped, he had found the seeds he had been looking for. Coulson wasn’t sure yet how they would plant the wheat and barley seeds he found, but he was determined they would find a way next spring when the time came. He was more interested in the huge surplus of carrot seeds he had found. Apparently, local farmers were contracted by a national firm to grow organic carrots. While not exactly what he was expecting, they were a welcome addition and were easy to grow. They also gotten lucky in that one of the grocery stores and the local co-op still had a variety of beans, peas, lettuce and root vegetable seeds on hand, tucked away in storage. He was optimistic they’d have vegetables within a few short months if they were able to plant soon. 

Pulling up spreadsheets to update his notes, Coulson’s thoughts strayed to Darcy. That she treasured the small bit of wrapping from the chocolate he had given her was a surprise. It pleased him as he thought it might indicate Darcy harbored deeper feelings than he expected. Happy as he was with the unforeseen development he worried about the pain she was in. He was also concerned with how her run-in with the infected man would affect her as he knew from experience how horrifying and shocking their behavior was. Even though he had just left her, he found himself wishing he could be near her to reassure himself she was ok. With a resigned sigh, he sat back and considered the work before him. Feeling somewhat ridiculous for allowing his emotions to rule him, Coulson gathered his notes and computer and returned to the apartment complex. He saw no harm is completing his work where he’d be able to keep an eye on Darcy. 

Suspecting she would be asleep, Coulson quietly let himself into the apartment. He came to stand over her and was pleased to see her sleeping peacefully. Taking stock of the room, Coulson set up at the kitchen table and got to work. It was sometime later when the apartment door opened and Jane quietly slipped in. She stilled when she saw him working at the table and took in Darcy sleeping on the couch. She whispered, “How is she?”

“She’s fine. She’s been sleeping for a little over an hour,” Coulson said quietly, looking over Darcy with a fond expression.

Comforted by Coulson’s obvious care, Jane relaxed minutely and pulled up a chair saying, “She said something about a stalker. That Michael guy? What happened?”

“He seems to be enamored with her. He apparently didn’t think she should be helping and in the process of trying to get her to stop, Darcy fell.”

“Sam said he’d had issues with a local girl a while back,” Jane commented worriedly.

“Yes. The doctor said the same thing. Darcy plans to talk to him but I have a feeling we’re going to need to keep an eye on the situation,” Coulson said, counting on Jane to understand she would be one of the primary people looking out for Darcy.

“Hopefully, after this, he’ll get the message that she’s not interested,” Jane said anxiously.

“The doctor thought it would be unlikely. Although, he seemed to think the community would be willing to step in if things got out of hand,” Coulson shared.

“That’s good at least,” Jane said, looking over a Darcy in concern. She added after a moment, “She’s lucky we have a doctor.”

“Yes,” Coulson readily agreed, adding, “She’s going to need surgery to set the arm correctly. Luckily, SHIELD has another group in the area and they have a surgeon. Until they get here the only thing we can do is try to keep her comfortable.”

“She didn’t say anything about surgery,” Jane said petulantly. 

“I got the feeling she didn’t want to worry you,” Coulson responded. 

“Darcy,” Jane said in exasperation as she fondly looked at her. Turning back to Coulson she asked, “How did everything else go today?”

“Well. When we left most of the trucks were full. And, I found a variety of seeds. If we can get the lettuce planted we could have fresh produce within a few weeks.”

“The good news is we finished up one of the rooms today. There are 200 tubs ready to be planted. We’re going to need more soil and supplies to do the other rooms but it’s a start.”

“Good. And, we found garden supplies. We’ll need more but it’s probably enough for another room.”

“Give us a week,” Jane said confidently. 

Coulson nodded in acknowledgment and glanced over at Darcy as she twitched in her sleep. With a puckered brow she moved slightly and then raised her head to look around in confusion. Eyes landing on the pair Darcy smiled weakly and said, “Hey guys. When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago. How are you feeling?” Jane said. 

“Ok. How long was I out?”

“A little over an hour,” Coulson said, adding, “I’m sorry we woke you.”

“No, it’s ok. If I sleep now I won’t be able to sleep tonight,” Darcy said, awkwardly sitting up. 

“I was just going to go get you some dinner,” Coulson said.

“Oh, I can go,” Darcy protested, preparing to stand. 

“Darcy sit down,” Jane said firmly, adding indignantly, “You just broke your arm. And, you’ve got a huge bruise on your forehead. The cafeteria can wrap up some dinner for you.”

“Oh,” Darcy said, reaching up to touch her forehead, only to gasp in pain. With a rueful laugh, she said, “I sort of forgot. How bad does it look?”

“Like it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better,” Jane said tartly. 

“Great,” Darcy muttered with a resigned sigh. 

“You’re just lucky it’s not worse. Falling out of a back of semi-truck is serious Darcy,” Jane said worriedly.

“It was totally not my fault. I was perfectly fine until Michael decided I shouldn’t be helping. If he hadn’t grabbed the box I was holding I wouldn’t have fallen,” Darcy protested.

Coulson’s phone rang, cutting off the conversation. He listened for a moment and then began to pack up his work saying, “I should go. The trucks are on their way back. I need to check in with Rivera and the other teams.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Darcy,” Jane assured him. 

“Darcy doesn’t need anyone keeping an eye on her. She’s fine,” Darcy said sarcastically.

“Oh, just humor me,” Jane replied exasperated.


	11. Houseguests During the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury shows up with a few friends. Coulson gets some good news. Problems that have been festering begin to get noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to thestancyg for her patience. You are always so helpful brainstorming! And of course proofreading! 
> 
>  
> 
> Warnings for bad language.

Standing at the edge of the grocery store parking lot Coulson looked up at the helicarrier hovering overhead. The technologically advanced ship seemed sadly ironic given the country’s current circumstances. Coulson had to question just how long Fury was going to be able to keep it in the air all the while grateful for its arrival. The behemoth transport literally blocked the late afternoon sun and cast a long shadow across the small town. Between it and the canyon walls, the town was awash in shades of gray and shadows deepened leaving Coulson feeling claustrophobic. Nonetheless, he joined those that gathered to watch in awe as shuttles broke away from the ship’s side and gracefully made their way to the surface. 

Coulson eagerly anticipated Fury’s promised flour and sugar and planned to store much of it in the grocery store as it offered the best controlled temperature storage. The remainder would be taken over to the school where the cooks were already planning menus to include the new supplies. In general, a celebratory mood pervaded the town as people excitedly prepared for the new arrivals and the provisions they brought with them. 

The first shuttle touched down in the parking lot and disgorged a handful of agents who busily began to unload their provisions. After a moment, a dark figured strode regally off the transport followed by two others. Stepping forward Coulson warmly greeted them, “Director Fury, welcome. Natasha, good to see you.”

“Coulson. There really isn’t much here is there?” Fury observed with a contemplative frown as he took in the gravel-strewn parking lot, the old grocery store and small nearby homes. 

“We make due,” Coulson said with a noncommittal shrug. Apprehension gnawed at him as Fury surveyed the town and obviously found it wanting. Coulson was well aware the town did not make the best first impression, as for the most part, it was made up of small, worn buildings. While Fury might have expected commiseration, Coulson felt nothing but respect and admiration for the community as the homes represented hard work and pride. He hoped Fury would come to see that as well. 

Smiling blandly at the director Coulson began to direct them toward downtown when Fury signaled for him to stop. Stepping to the side the director gestured to a large blond man that had followed him off of the shuttle, saying, “Phil, I’d like you to meet Steve Rogers. Otherwise, known as Captain America. There’s a lot you don’t know about the last few days leading up to the outbreak.”

Not sure what to think, Coulson frowned in consternation as he looked from the director to the self-conscious blond and said in disbelief, “Director?”

“We recovered the Captain in the Arctic. I was going to call you in but we barely got him defrosted before we evacuated,” Fury explained nonchalantly. 

Flabbergasted, Coulson stared, not quite believing what he was seeing as the man before him ducked his head and awkwardly shuffled his feet. Fury smirked to see the reticent agent floundering at the unexpected news as he was well aware of the man’s fannish proclivities. After a moment he deigned to explain further, “The doctors say the serum kept him in suspended animation. We found him submerged in ice in the plane he went down in.”

“I see,” Coulson said flatly, still stunned as he examined the large blond who glanced up at him, clearly uncomfortable with being the topic of conversation. The man had a remarkable likeness to Captain America, even dressed in a black Strike uniform. It was a jarring contrast to the bright blue costume the icon usually wore. While he wanted to ask for clarification on a number of points Coulson prided himself on his self-control and quickly suppressed his astonishment. Visibly pulling himself together Coulson offered his hand saying, “Phil Coulson, Captain, it’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

Startling a bit at his name, the Captain shook Coulson’s hand and responded cordially, “Good to meet you. It’s just Steve.”

Coulson nodded solemnly as he continued to appraise the man, unable to look away. He was shaken from his disconcertment by Natasha who said, “Not that’s not good to see you Phil, but where’s Clint?” 

Pulling his attention away from Captain America, Coulson distractedly turned to Natasha and replied, “He was hunting earlier. I expect we’ll see him at dinner. I doubt he’ll miss it. Word is fresh tomatoes and peppers are on the menu.”

“Fresh produce? That’s surprising,” Fury commented clearly curious to know how that had come about. 

“We’ve had some luck,” Coulson admitted as he led them away from the parking lot. He was privately proud of how much they had accomplished in such a short time. The addition of fresh vegetables to the evening meal was a fluke but still indicative of their efforts. Coulson was fine with allowing the vegetables to be seen as a sign of their success. He offered a small satisfied smile as he explained, “A few days ago a team found some greenhouses in the valley full of tomato and pepper plants. We’re working on moving the plants over to the high school. We’re converting it into a greenhouse.”

“How’s that going?” Fury asked curiously. 

“Slower than I’d like but we’re making progress. We’re retrofitting classrooms using materials from marijuana grow houses.” 

Fury nodded in contemplation for a moment and then offered, “We’ve got a couple of engineers on board if you want them. They might be able to help speed things along.”

“That would be appreciated,” Coulson replied, adding, “I’ll introduce you to Dr. Foster later. She’s heading the project.” 

As they walked past the small cabins and cottages that dotted the street and headed toward the few blocks at made up business district Fury observed, “There’s not much of an infrastructure here Coulson. That grocery store might be big enough to hold the flour and sugar we brought you but where are you planning to put everything else you’ll need for the winter?”

Coulson gestured to the empty two-story buildings they were passing and said, “The majority of what we gather will go into these shops. We confiscated a warehouse on the edge of town for the barley we found. And, we’re using the mines as a meat locker and for potato storage. We’ll manage.” While Coulson expected questions he found himself bristling. He knew Fury was simply testing him and gauging the town’s ability to survive. He just didn’t appreciate the skepticism. 

Fury nodded thoughtfully before saying, “Well, I hope you have room. We found a warehouse full of MREs at Leavenworth. The base was decimated but it had plenty of stores. We brought you about a six month’s supply for four hundred people. If you run out of food that should hold you over until you can get something in. We might be able to help too but I wouldn’t rely on us completely.” 

“That’s more than I expected,” Coulson said in astonishment, his normal reticence overcome by the surprise of the unexpected windfall. He gratefully added, “That puts us in an entirely different position. Thank you, Director.” 

Fury shrugged, brushing aside the agent’s effusive thanks and said, “We’ve had techs evaluating the state. They think they’ve found a warehouse on the other side of the mountains that holds the area’s apple crop. They might have found some honey, too. We need some boots on the ground to verify of course.”

Coulson frowned in consternation and said regretfully, “We’re stretched a little thin at the moment. Depending on how far away it is we might not be able to follow up on the intel. Gas is a concern.” He chaffed at the idea of missing out on supplies. As it was Coulson worried their trips to the valley would deplete their fuel reserves to the point they would run short over the winter, to say nothing of the coming spring. He was privately holding out hope that Fury would follow through on their previous conversation about fuel and offer a solution. 

“Then I have other good news. We left our Strike team in Amarillo. They’ve got a couple of oil refineries there so we should be able to keep you supplied for quite some time. I’m told it’s about a 7-hour drive. I expect they’ll be here sometime tomorrow.”

Relief swept through Coulson. He continued walking as if a huge weight had not just been lifted off his shoulders as he said appreciatively, “That is good news. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“We’ll see. We might need some drivers,” Fury replied unconcerned. “In the meantime, I thought we could pitch in. The helicarrier walls are starting to close in on people. Some ground under people’s feet might be just what’s needed.”

“Anyone who wants to help is welcome to join us.” 

“Good. Hill already has a list of volunteers. You’ll have more people than you know what to do with,” Fury said confidently. 

“We’ll put them to work. We were planning to send a group out to Alamosa tomorrow. It’s 70 miles east of here. It only has a population of 9,000 but it’s the largest town in the valley. There’s a state college and a Walmart. A couple of farm stores and medical centers,” Coulson clarified. “I had planned for at least four days to bring in everything we find but help would cut that time down.” Coulson was already mentally redistributing volunteers and considering expanding his list of sites to visit and items to bring in. The promise of fuel and the additional help put a new twist on their foraging expedition. 

“I’ll let Hill know. We’ll have people ready.”

“How long were you planning on staying Director? With extra help we could extend our search out further. The shuttles and additional manpower would make a difference,” Coulson said hopefully. Anticipation gathered as he considered just how far the shuttles and additional help could take them. They might actually run out of storage space.

“Two, three weeks?” Fury offered, adding, “I thought we’d visit the potato and barley warehouses you mentioned and while we’re here see what we can do for you. It’ll give people a chance to get off the helicarrier. I was hoping we could make arrangements for a little R & R. How difficult would it be for you to host an extra fifty or so for dinner every night?”

“With the additional supplies you’re helping bring in we could probably accommodate fifty if you don’t mind staggering your meal times. The cafeteria gets a little overcrowded when everyone tries to eat at the same time. As for R & R, I might have a few suggestions.”

“What is there to do around here?” 

“Fishing and hiking are popular. But the town also has a theater. We could show the films they have on hand,” Coulson suggested as he nodded toward an old marquee in the middle of Main Street. He added, “We also have a team downloading everything Amazon has available. If you’re interested we could transfer movies, books or music to hard drives for you to take with you when you go.” 

“Now that sounds promising.”

“I thought it might be something you’d be interested in. I expect our media library will be one of our biggest commodities in the future,” Coulson shared proudly. 

“Well, we’ll take whatever you can give us. Boredom is a problem. Any chance you can take a few people in? Not everyone is cut out to live on the helicarrier,” Fury said expectantly. 

Coulson hesitated before he reluctantly replied, “We’d be hard pressed to take in many. Although it’s possible we could make an exchange. There might be a few agents who would prefer to transfer to the helicarrier. Not everyone transitions well to civilian life.”

“Fair enough. Let’s discuss it later,” Fury said with a satisfied nod. 

As the group made their way over to the elementary school for dinner they were greeted by the local population also en route. Despite the chill in the air, a small crowd had gathered at the entrance of the school chatting as they waited for the evening meal to be served. As they approached Clint broke away from the crowd and greeted them with a grin. With a nod to the director he embraced Natasha and pulled her away, leaving Steve to trail behind as Coulson led Fury over to the sheriff and mayor. 

Clint quickly introduced Jane and Darcy but paused when he came to the tall blond hovering behind Natasha. Raising a brow in question he looked at the redhead expectantly. Natasha graced him with an ambiguous smile and said, “Ladies, Clint. I’d like you to meet Steve Rogers. Otherwise known as Captain America. SHIELD found him frozen in the Arctic just before the outbreak. We barely got him defrosted before we evacuated.”

The trio was silent for a moment before Darcy blurted out in astonished disbelief, “Captain America? As in Captain America, Captain America?” 

“The one and only,” Natasha patiently replied. 

Jane frowned and tilted her head as she considered the blond before saying doubtfully, “If you were frozen how are you still alive? That shouldn’t be possible.”

Clint glanced at Natasha for further confirmation to which she gave him a discreet nod. Satisfied, Clint held out his hand and said, “Hey man. Clint Barton. Good to meet you.”

“Steve Rogers,” Steve curtly responded as he shook Clint’s hand. He nodded at the two women who were still staring at him like they didn’t quite know what to make of him.

“It’s been like 65 years since WWII,” Darcy said incredulously.

Aghast Jane said, “This has all got to be such a shock for you.” 

Ducking his head as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment Steve reluctantly agreed, “It’s a little strange.”

“You know, I always thought you were just a propaganda ploy,” Darcy said as she looked at him thoughtfully. She rushed to explain, “What with the whole USO show, punching Hitler shtick. Between the comic books and anti-communist stuff from the 50’s it was hard to know what was real. But I had a history class a couple of semesters ago on WWII and apparently you were the real deal. All of your missions were declassified back in the 80’s and the historians went nuts. You were like special forces before they even existed,” Darcy said clearly impressed.

With a weak rueful smile, Steve said, “I never actually punched Hitler. That was part of the USO show.”

“But you took down Hydra, right? With your team – the Howling Commandos?” Darcy pressed.

“We targeted Nazi scientific development. But, yes. Mostly Hydra.”

An awkward silence settled over the group as they stared curiously at the national icon before them. Guilt crept over Darcy as she noticed Steve’s uneasy posture and realized she hadn’t been very tactful. Sharing a plaintive look with Jane, Darcy struggled to find a new topic of conversation. 

Catching sight of the massive vehicle hanging overhead Jane said longingly, “You’re lucky you got a chance to see the helicarrier up close. I’d love to see its engines. It’s a miracle that it can stay in the sky. To say nothing of being able to float too. That is an insane transition.”  


Glancing up Steve smiled wryly and clearly more than willing to move on to another topic said incredulously, “It’s something else isn’t it?”

The group considered the massive transport for a long moment before Steve offered wistfully, “I once saw a car fly. It wasn’t in the air long. But the guy – you ever hear of Howard Stark? He predicted that in a few years everyone would have a flying car. It’s my understanding that never happened.”

“You saw Howard Stark?” Darcy exclaimed. “He was an entire chapter in my 20th-century science survey course. Before Stark Industries focused on weapons he had some ingenious inventions.”

Turning to look at her in surprise, Steve warmed saying, “Yeah? I can see Howard in the history books. He was always coming up with stuff for us to use during the war.” 

“He was brilliant,” Jane gushed, adding, “Now that Stark Industries has stopped manufacturing weapons and moved to green energy and technology I bet we’ll see a lot of new innovations.”

Darcy stared at Jane expectantly before saying regretfully, “That probably won’t happen now.”

Jane frowned and after moment despondently replied, “Oh… yeah. I forget sometimes.” 

Conversation petered out and the group was casting about for another topic when they became aware of a discussion taking place next to them. 

“Fuck this. What I wouldn’t do for a blow job,” a man complained, practically whining. 

“I hear you man but pickings are slim. There’s nothing here but old broads and jail bait,” another man griped. 

“Well, there’s a couple of tourists but they’re taken,” a voice unhappily pointed out. 

“Yeah, we’re not going to get a chance at them unless they get hungry,” grumbled another. 

“That science chick and the bitch with the tits are our best bet.”

“I don’t know about that,” a voice refuted adding cynically, “Coulson’s claimed the one with the body. And, the other one has next to no tits.”

“Eh, so you think of the one with tits while you fuck her,” a man said dismissively adding gruffly, “Whoever gets her should just count himself lucky he’s getting any at all. She’s not young but she’s not as old as some of these broads.” 

“Yeah, the only thing real fresh are the high school chicks, and they’re off the table,” another man groused. 

“Maybe not,” a man objected, adding thoughtfully, “Two of them seem willing. You just need to sweeten the parents up. Slip them something. There’s got to be something they want. Or, there will be once winter sets in.”

“Maybe, but what about Coulson?” a new voice questioned concerned.

“What the fuck can he say if we’ve got the parent’s approval?” the man irritably replied. 

“Fuck him. He needs us. Besides, what can he really do about it?” another contended.

“I just want a blow job,” the original man bemoaned. 

“Fuck yeah,” a man vehemently agreed adding eagerly, “I want a bitch on her knees. I’d like to get that one with tits.”

“She’s a cunt. She’d bite if off,” a man warned with a jeer.

Appalled Darcy and Jane looked at one another in horror as the conversation washed over them. They were startled when Natasha gently grasped their arms and with a warning arch of her brow discreetly pulled them away. As he turned to follow Steve caught the eye of one of the men, who sneered at him. As he retreated Steve heard him say, “And now that big blond fuck is here. You going to tell me he’s not going to try to horn in?”

Silently following Natasha’s lead, Jane and Darcy felt Clint and Steve fall in behind them, providing an effective barrier between them and the revolting group of men. Feeling verbally battered by what they had just heard the women took comfort in the shelter the two men offered. Coming to a stop at the edge of the parking lot Natasha quietly asked, “Are you ok?”

Momentarily silent, Darcy and Jane were grim but raised their chins and stood a little bit straighter. With a scowl, Jane declared, “We’re fine. They’re just disgusting pigs.”

“The guy doing most of the talking – Rumlow – he’s been a creep since the day I met him,” Darcy added contemptuously.

Natasha nodded in acknowledgment as she carefully evaluated the two women. She glanced questioningly at Clint as he leaned in and asked cautiously, “Have they done anything? More, I mean. Since your last run in with them?”

Jane shook her head, dismissing his concern, saying, “No. I think we’ve both made a point of staying out of their way and they’re gone a lot.”

“I spoke to one of them but he just wanted me to download some books,” Darcy said, adding thoughtfully, “He was actually ok. He told me he thought Rumlow was an asshole and that not all of them agreed with him. Though, you wouldn’t know that based on what we just heard.”

“They were vile. SHIELD allows that sort of behavior?” Steve asked angrily, clearly disgusted by what he had just witnessed. 

“No. But things have changed. And, Strike teams have always been a little rough around the edges,” Clint said explained unapologetically.

Darcy snorted before saying sarcastically, “That’s minimum a sexual harassment claim if things were at all normal.”

Clint shrugged, not disagreeing. 

“Stay away from them,” Natasha calmly urged. Glancing between the two women she added, “I don’t think they’ll act out. But you’re on their radar.”

“Someone needs to report them to their commanding officer. Who is it?” Steve demanded, clearly ready to take the lead on that endeavor.

Clint and Natasha exchanged a long look before Natasha flatly replied, “They answer to Coulson. Though, I imagine they probably report to the sheriff now too. They’re an independent team that takes their direction from the agent in charge of an op. The final authority would be Fury.”

“Then we need to speak with them because that was offensive. Times may have changed but I can’t imagine they’ve changed so much that that sort of conversation is acceptable. In my day men talked but that wouldn’t have been tolerated even in the ranks,” Steve said heatedly.

“No. Guys might be crude but they don’t usually talk like that in public,” Clint gruffly assured him. 

“Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if Strike guys talked like that in private,” Darcy added knowingly. 

Just then the door to the elementary school opened and a cafeteria worker announced that dinner was served. The group somberly looked at one another and tabled the conversation. As they turned to join the line Clint and Natasha hung back, allowing the crowd to put plenty of distance between their group and the Strike team. 

The community was in fine spirits over dinner as the new arrivals gave everyone hope that others had survived outside the isolated town. That alone was grounds for celebration. The addition of fresh tomatoes and peppers to the evening meal was cause for more. While the town had recently enjoyed a variety of food options due to their recent excursions, they hadn’t had anything truly fresh in weeks. The vegetables were a small reminder of better times and gave them hope they could regain something close to normal once again. 

Once the group filled their plates and claimed their share of the evening’s tomatoes and peppers, Clint led them to a table. Bringing up the rear, Darcy was sidetracked when Michael stepped in front of her saying, “Hey Darcy. You see the tomatoes we’re having for dinner? They’re because of me. I was the one that told Coulson about the greenhouses.”

“Ah, hi Michael,” Darcy reluctantly greeted him as she looked past him, hoping someone would notice her absence. 

“Why don’t you sit with me tonight? We can catch up. I can tell you about the other ranches in the valley I told Coulson about,” Michael said, taking Darcy’s elbow, trying to guide her to a nearby table. 

Darcy held her ground and was about to say something when Jane marched up and brushed Michael aside as she took Darcy’s tray and began to usher her away saying, “Come on. We’re sitting over here.”

“Hey, she was going to sit with me,” Michael protested.

Jane glared up at the man and sharply demanded, “Why can’t you leave her alone? Do you really think Darcy wants to eat dinner with you after you broke her arm?”

Michal scowled and puffing himself up declared, “I was trying to help her. She got hurt because she wouldn’t listen. She shouldn’t have been up in that trailer in the first place.”

“The way I heard it Darcy was fine. You just wouldn’t leave her alone and now you can’t seem to take a hint,” Jane snapped back impatiently. 

“Darcy knows I only want what’s best for her,” Michael objected, glancing over at Darcy and trying to persuade her with a smile.

Jane scowled and said irritably, “That’s the thing. It’s all about you. What you want. Have you ever asked what she wants?” With a huff she began to shepherd Darcy toward the table saying, “Come on Darcy. You need to eat so you can take your meds. I know you’ve been skipping them.”

“Hey-” Michael complained, clearly perturbed. 

Briefly turning back Darcy said wearily, “I’m going to go sit down Michael. Have a good night.” 

Throwing one last dark look over her shoulder Jane directed Darcy to her seat. After fussing over her Jane finally sat down grumbling, “It’s been more than a week and Michael still hasn’t gotten the message that he needs to leave you alone.”

“I can talk to him if you want,” Clint volunteered.

Darcy shook her head said resignedly, “No. I’ll do it. I was hoping that if I kept saying no he’d figure it out, but I guess I’m going to have be more direct.”

“You shouldn’t have to put up with him. Especially right now. I know you’re rationing your pain meds. You need to take them,” Jane gently reprimanded her with a worried frown. 

“I’ll be fine after I have surgery tomorrow,” Darcy said dismissively, but not denying Jane was right.

“What is it you need to be more direct about?” Natasha asked curiously.

With a small frown of annoyance, Darcy answered, “Michael has sort of gotten attached. I need to tell him to back off a little.”

Jane huffed and said blatantly, “He’s completely fixated on Darcy and he’s the reason she got hurt. Darcy needs to tell him to leave her alone.”

“Do you often have trouble with men?” Natasha asked cryptically.

Surprised, both Darcy and Jane looked at Natasha in consternation before Darcy replied with a puzzled frown, “No. Why?”

“You appear to have gained a number of admirers in the short time you’ve been here,” Natasha coolly observed.

Jane bristled at Natasha’s comment and said, “So? Darcy’s pretty. And nice. She hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“I’m sure she hasn’t,” Natasha carefully replied. 

As Jane frowned at Natasha Darcy uneasily moved food around on her plate before cautiously offering, “I think guys need something to focus on what with everything going on. And, everyone knows me from this media downloading project I’m working on. And, well… There really aren’t that many single women here.”

Not liking how apologetic Darcy sounded Clint leaned into the table and catching her eye solemnly said, “Hey. None of this is your fault. Michael. Strike. It’s all on them.” 

“He’s right,” Jane agreed, glancing at Clint appreciatively.

“If he’s as fixated as you say he is, he won’t take a gentle brush off. You’ll need to be very clear that you don’t want his attention,” Natasha pressed.

“Yeah, I know,” Darcy responded defensively, clearly tired of the conversation. 

Turning to consider Jane, Natasha calmly said, “I’m curious to know how it is you’ve avoided any entanglements Dr. Foster.” 

“Oh,” Jane said, taken back by the woman’s scrutiny. She thoughtfully offered, “I guess I’m not in public as much. I’m usually up at the high school working on the greenhouse or over at the command center. Darcy works in the coffee shop where everyone goes, so she’s more visible.”

“You also work with old married guys,” Darcy helpfully pointed out. 

Jane smiled ruefully and said, “True. They’re all about 10 or 20 years older than me.”

“Or more. Sam’s practically old enough to be your grandfather,” Darcy teased. 

“What is it you do at the command center?” Natasha asked.

“I needed to track down where we’re getting our power and figure out a way to make sure it’s secure,” Jane answered. 

“And, you’ve done this?” Natasha questioned with a tilt of her head, as she studied Jane.

“Yes,” Jane replied confidently. A moment later she frowned and as a shadow of doubt crossed her face she added reluctantly, “Well, sort of.” She rushed to explain, “I’m fairly certain we’re getting our power from a dam in the mountains. But I’d really prefer we use the solar farm down in the valley. The problem is getting to them. The dam is so remote you have to take a special railway to get there. Maybe we can figure that out next spring but not right now. If something happens to it this winter we could be without power.” “The solar farm would just be easier to secure. But I need to get there. And, it’s going to take time to figure out how to isolate its substation from the rest of the state’s electrical grid if we do try to secure it,” Jane explained, worry lacing her tone. 

“If it’s so vital for you to get there, why haven’t you gone?” Natasha asked as she stared intently at the scientist. 

Jane considered Natasha for a moment, feeling oddly as if she was being interrogated. Taking a breath she rallied and explained, “It’s a matter of priorities. Coulson wanted to wait for all the zombies to die. And, then we needed to focus on bringing in food.” She hesitantly added, “Everything else just took precedence once I told him we were getting our power from the dam. I mean, it is pretty reliable.” When Natasha continued to gaze at her Jane fidgeted and anxiously offered, “I just worry. The dam should be fine but if we really want to secure our power we need the solar farm.” 

“There’s also the fact that the Strike team would have to go with you. Coulson knows you’re not thrilled about having to work with them,” Darcy chimed in. 

“Wait. Why does the Strike team have to go?” Steve demanded, clearly not liking the idea.

“Someone needs to clear the farm and its buildings. It’s huge,” Clint explained.

Darcy added, “And, Coulson isn’t about to risk Jane. We need her too much.”

“What if someone else could go?” Steve asked. “I could go. There’s a lot of guys on the helicarrier with nothing to do. We could clear the site and look after of her.”

“What would it take for that to happen?” Jane asked excitedly, looking around the table hopefully.

Natasha shrugged and said, “Talk to Coulson. He’ll talk to Fury. Chances are power is on their list of things to deal with. Give them a solution and they’ll make it happen.” 

“You know there are probably some guys on the carrier that can help with the whole power thing. I mean they have an engineering team,” Clint suggested offhandedly.

Jane stared at him in surprise before saying incredulously, “Oh my god. Why didn’t I think of that? There have to be electrical engineers on board and one of them might have experience with the electrical grid.”

“Would that make that much of a difference?” Natasha asked curiously.

“If they’ve worked on the electrical grid they’d know more than I do. Managing utilities is an entire specialty on its own. It’s not just flipping switches. It's knowing how much power is being created and how much the lines can carry. If they have even a little experience it could cut down the time we’d need to figure things out,” Jane earnestly explained. 

During the discussion Steve considered the two women before him. While both Darcy and Jane were striking he found himself drawn to Jane and her feisty disposition. Her scrappiness was familiar as he had been much the same not that long ago. She was even smaller than he had been and he recognized the effort it took for Jane to make sure her presence was felt. Steve admired how she was ready to protect her friend against all comers; whether it be an unwanted suitor or Natasha’s insistent questions. Watching her hover protectively over Darcy, Steve was flooded with bittersweet memories of days gone by. Bucky sprang to mind and how he harangued Steve to take better care of himself. Steve found Jane oddly invoked much of his past while standing securely in the present. 

That Jane obviously held a position of importance within the community also caught his attention. Steve doubted times had changed so much that it was common for a woman to be directing the technical projects she seemed to be in charge of. As he quietly listened to the conversation he observed how quickly Jane transitioned from being Darcy’s protector to deftly handling Natasha to addressing the community’s power needs. Steve was reminded of Peggy with her no-nonsense commanding presence and competence. Neither women let their sex dictate what it was they could do and they made sure the people around them knew it as well. 

It struck him that for all their strengths neither Peggy nor Jane hid their femininity. Each wore the uniform of their trade but beneath it there was a softness that made them approachable. Steve took in Jane’s flannel shirt and jeans and while times had changed he doubted her outfit was considered fashionable and yet he thought she wore it well. 

As appreciative as Steve was of Jane’s strengths he felt strongly she and Darcy needed an advocate to look after their interests. He wasn’t sure of his reception but he was determined to have words with Director Fury and Agent Coulson. The behavior he had witnessed the Strike team exhibit could not go unaddressed. With that in mind, as dinner wound down and the cafeteria emptied, Steve excused himself and made his way over to the table that he suspected included the community’s leaders. 

Bracing himself Steve smiled blandly and patiently waded through introductions, dealing with the expected response to his unusual circumstances. It took a few minutes but he curtailed it somewhat by simply getting to the point, “I came over here because I think you need to be made aware of a situation. Tonight I overheard your Strike team speak inappropriately about the women in your community. I was standing with some women who overheard it as well and they were deeply offended. I’ve been to war. I’ve heard men talk. But this? This was beyond anything remotely acceptable. I think you have a serious problem on your hands that you need to address sooner rather than later.”

Having said his piece Steve glanced around the table and was met with looks of concern as well as skepticism. He wasn’t particularly surprised. He had found since he had joined the 21st century people often underestimated him based solely on his lack of current world experience. With a suppressed sigh he braced himself for questions. 

Leaning forward Coulson cautiously said, “I don’t mean to question your interpretation of events Captain, but I may ask what it was that the team said?”

Steve frowned in distaste but knowing he had to speak out he elaborated, “They explicitly discussed rape. One of them suggested they bribe parents in order to have relations with their teenage daughters. They implied that they would withhold food from women unless they gave in to their demands. They used ugly and disgusting words and were disrespectful of not only women but of your leadership.”

Again Steve took in the table and this time found grim and appalled expressions. The group sputtered in outrage as they glanced indignantly over at the team, sitting in a corner of the cafeteria. Coulson cleared his throat and said, “I see. You’re right. That sort of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I need to have a word with the team.” 

Coming to stand before the Strike team Coulson took note of which men responded to his appearance with barely concealed surliness and those who were calmly attentive. He wasn’t surprised by the men’s behavior so much as taken back that they had been so public about it. Coulson was, however, curious to know which if any of the men disagreed with the opinions of their leader and if they were willing or able to take a stand. 

“Gentlemen, I’d like a word,” Coulson said expectantly.

“Yes sir,” Rumlow replied with a petulant frown, his eyes shifting to look over Coulson’s shoulder. 

As Coulson stood somberly before the men he became aware of the others coming to stand at his side. Glancing to his left and right he found Fury, Steve, the mayor, the sheriff, and his deputies had gathered in a formable line. Calmly surveying the suddenly uneasy men before him Coulson said, “It has come to my attention that this evening you were overheard making derogatory remarks about the women in this community. That is unacceptable. Last week we had a conversation about respect and relationships. I thought I made it clear that inappropriate behavior would not be tolerated.”

Coulson waited for a response and while none spoke the men subtly communicated either shame or animosity through their posture and expression. After a moment Coulson continued, “From now on you will behave in a civil manner while in public. You may also want to consider that you will find yourself shunned by the very group you wish to impress if you continue on the path you are on. I’d like to add that living here is a privilege, not a right. If you cannot comport yourself appropriately and live within the accepted norms of the community you can be asked to leave.”

Again Coulson paused to make sure his point had been made. After a moment he asked, “Any questions?”

Time stood still as each group evaluated the other. Silence stretched thin until Coulson abruptly broke it saying, “Very well. I suggest you head out. Tomorrow will be another early day.” 

Without a word the Strike team rose as one and stalked out of the cafeteria. With their departure the tension dissipated and the remaining men congregated around Coulson. 

“They’re going to be trouble,” Fury gruffly observed. 

“Yes,” Coulson reluctantly agreed, adding, “I’d hoped that by allowing them alcohol during off hours and lifting the prohibition against relationships there would be an improvement in their attitude but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“It’s that Rumlow fella. He’s been a problem since he got here,” the sheriff said accusatorially. 

“What are we going to do?” the mayor asked worriedly.

“There’s not much we can do,” Coulson replied adding impassively, “We’ve warned them. We have to hope that their desire to stay within the community will influence their behavior.”

“So we wait for them to break the law?” the mayor asked.

“Let’s hope they don’t,” the sheriff said grimly as he shared a look with his deputies.

“If they do break the law then what do we do?” the mayor pressed.

The group paused to consider the question before Coulson replied, “We enforce it. We still have a sheriff and a judge, and a prosecutor and a defense attorney. The question is what sort of sentence can be applied given the circumstances. I believe we’ve made our position fairly clear. Asking them to leave is a last resort but now they are aware it is on the table.”

 

With an unsatisfying ending to an otherwise successful evening, the group confirmed plans for the following day’s expedition and called it a night. As Coulson escorted Fury and Steve back to the waiting shuttle he gave in to an overwhelming urge and with admiration warming his tone said, “It really is an honor to meet you Captain. I’ve followed your career extensively.”

Fury smirked and said, “I warned you Captain that you still had fans. Phil here was an Army Ranger. They’re all nuts for you.”

“Army Ranger? Special operations?” Steve tentatively guessed.

“Yes. We carried out similar missions to what you and the Commandoes did during the war. Your mission reports were mandatory reading at the academy,” Coulson explained.

Steve huffed out a weak laugh and said, “I feel like I should apologize for that. My reports were not well written.” 

“On the contrary, they were very informative. I learned a lot,” Coulson argued.

“I don’t know that we did anything worth studying. According to Colonel Phillips, we were damn lucky we didn’t get court-martialed for as many times as we went against orders.”

“The number of successful missions you led I think speaks for itself. It is truly remarkable,” Coulson respectfully replied. 

Steve shrugged, “At the time it was just a matter of getting the job done.”

“It’s probably a matter of perspective. Your team laid the groundwork for modern special forces teams,” Coulson said sincerely.

Steve ruefully chuckled, “The guys would have gotten a kick out of that.”

“I believe Sergeant Dugan did. He occasionally lectured at the academy. His seminars were always standing room only.”

“Dum Dum lectured at an academy?” Steve asked incredulously. He added with a laugh, “I would have paid good money to have seen that.”

“He was quite popular.”

“I bet he was. He was a good guy.”

“He had a lot to say about you.”

Steve smile wistfully, “I can just imagine. He was the best storyteller of all of us.” 

As they approached the shuttle Coulson said, “He told some hair raising tales that he swore were true. I always wondered.”

“Sounds like Dum Dum. We’ll have to talk again sometime and maybe I can set you straight on what he told you,” Steve offered warmly.

“I’d like that,” Coulson said earnestly as they came to a stop before a group of agents waiting at the shuttle. Off to the side they found Natasha, Clint, Jane and Darcy quietly chatting. 

“Hey Coulson, Nat’s said she’d go on the supply run with me tomorrow,” Clint said by way of greeting.

“Good. She’ll keep you out of trouble,” Coulson replied. Turning to Natasha he explained, “The last time I sent him out he brought back a couple hundred pounds of frozen bratwurst and a sausage maker. I’d sent him to look for greenhouses.”

“Hey, I found a greenhouse,” Clint protested. “And, even though the plants were dead I got a bunch of planting stuff. But I didn’t want to come back with a half-empty truck. So you know, when I saw a sign for homemade sausage I thought I’d check it out,” Clint said with an unapologetic shrug. 

Natasha tsked at Clint and said with a bemused smirk, “I’ll keep him on task."

Coulson smiled blandly and said, “That would be appreciated.”

“I’ll talk to Hill but plan on us sending a group down tomorrow for assignments and to pick you up. We’ll take the carrier over to town to unload everyone else. We can use the shuttles to transport supplies,” Fury suggested.

“That sounds fine. I’ll join you after I see Darcy to the infirmary,” Coulson said.

Fury looked over at the brunette in a sling and gruffly teased, “So you’re the reason we came all this way?”

Darcy smiled good-naturedly and mildly protested, “Hey, Phil said you were coming anyway.”

“Phil did, did he?” Fury asked curiously, slowly turning to stare at Coulson. 

“I might have mentioned the carrier would eventually visit,” Coulson replied unconcerned.

“I see,” Fury said speculatively as he turned to appraise the petite brunette. After a moment he said, “Well, we’ll get you taken care of.”

“I can’t wait to fly in one of these things,” Darcy said giddily, gesturing to the shuttle. She added brightly, “I feel like we’re in Star Trek. All we need are the uniforms.”

Clint snorted and said, “I’m not wearing red. I don’t have a death wish.” 

“I thought red was for command?” Fury asked.

“Depends on the show,” Darcy replied. “In the original Star Trek you were pretty much the designated dead guy if you wore red. But you’re right - in Next Generation red was for command.”

“I see.”

“But if you want to wear black I don’t think anyone is going to tell you different. You’re the captain,” Darcy said. 

Fury gave Darcy a long dark look and warned, “I don’t want to hear anything about Picard.”

Darcy grinned in delight, sensing that for all of his glowering Fury might not be quite as scary as he tried to be and replied, “Hey, he was an awesome captain. There are worse men you could be compared to.”

“Uh-hu. You’re trouble,” Fury flatly observed.

Laughing, Darcy cheerfully declared, “Yes, I am. So I have to ask. Do you say ‘Make it so’ every time you lay in a course?”

Fury scowled at Darcy, seeming to be less than impressed with her chipper comments and turning to Coulson ordered, “Keep her off the bridge. The last thing I need is the crew quoting Star Trek.”

Casting Darcy a warm exasperated look Coulson quickly agreed, “I’ll be sure to do that Director.”

“Aw, ruin my fun,” Darcy playful pouted at Coulson.

Fury frowned as he considered the young brunette and then gave Coulson a long hard look. With a dismissive shake of his head, he stalked on to the shuttle gruffly saying over his shoulder, “Rogers, Romanoff, you coming?”


	12. Finding Your Place in the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve discovers what life is like off the helicarrier. Coulson and Fury take care of housekeeping. Darcy and Jane are just their delightful selves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming! Thank you for being so generous with your time. 
> 
> I hadn't planned to add yet another point of view to the story but Steve got away from me!
> 
> Warning for bad language.

Looking down at the small town spread out before him, Steve was drawn to its empty streets and quaint old homes. The town’s buildings held a sense of familiarity about them which he attributed to their age. Many were older than he was. The trees and the sweeping vista of the valley were like a breath of fresh air after the enclosed confines of the helicarrier. And, the rugged canyon that bordered the town and its high desert environment was like nothing he had ever seen before. Only after leaving the ship the previous evening had Steve begun to understand just how unhappy he was within its walls. The few short hours he had spent in town had gone far to renew his spirits. He wanted nothing more than to remain on the ground and enjoy the town’s open space. 

Waking up to a new century had been shocking, but the ensuing weeks had rattled him further. The country had literally been destroyed before he could see how 70 years had changed it. Now he was faced with trying to make sense of a world that was in pieces. He suspected that it would not be something he could easily do in the cramped confines of the helicarrier. 

Stepping off the shuttle, Steve breathed in the crisp cold air and enjoyed its fresh, biting scent. An agent had mentioned sagebrush the previous night, and Steve wondered if that was what he was smelling as there was a strong yet dusty herbal fragrance in the air. Silently following after Natasha, they joined Clint who was waiting with a crowd of local people at the edge of a parking lot next to a long string of massive trucks and trailers. Assignments for the day’s excursion to a neighboring town were being distributed and chaos seemed to reign as people got organized. 

While they waited for instructions, Jane and Darcy arrived exclaiming over the cold and promising coffee. Curious to see more of the town, Steve readily agreed to accompany the women to the town’s coffee shop. On the way, he got to know both a bit better and found he had missed the light humor and easiness they seemed to naturally offer. 

“You know while I’m going to be glad to get my surgery over with, I’m more excited about seeing the carrier and taking a ride in the shuttle. Like I said last night, it’s right out of Star Trek,” Darcy said.

“I wish I could go with you. I’m dying to see the carrier’s engines. The turbines have to be huge. Look, you can see them from here,” Jane said, turning to walk backward as she looked up at the massive vehicle hanging overhead. 

Not knowing what Star Trek was, Steve didn’t comment having learned explanations often confused him more. Instead, he reached out and gently guided Jane around a lamp post that she almost collided with. “Oh!” she exclaimed with a self-conscious laugh as she spun and righted herself. “Thanks. I guess I should probably watch where I’m walking.”

Amused, Steve smiled and said good-naturedly, “Well, I can make sure you don’t hit any lamps. I think curbs might be a problem though.”

Darcy scoffed and said, “Good luck with that. Jane always has her head in the clouds when it comes to science. Half my job used to be making sure she didn’t run into anything.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad,” Jane indignantly protested. 

“Jane you hit Thor with your van. Twice.”

“Those are two very specific instances that do not apply in this case. He got in my way,” Jane argued. 

“In both cases he was walking by, minding his own business and you hit him,” Darcy contended, adding, “Thor was the proverbial lamppost that you ran into.”

“So I’m getting that this isn’t exactly a new thing with you?” Steve teased Jane.

With a laugh, Jane rolled her eyes and said, “Darcy’s exaggerating. I pay attention to the important stuff. It’s just sometimes…”

“Sometimes she’s blinded by science,” Darcy interjected in exasperation.

They were snickering over Jane’s ardent protests as they crossed the street only to abruptly stop as the Strike team strode out of the coffee shop and began to gather on the sidewalk. Upon seeing the trio, Rumlow turned to face them snarling in contempt, “Look. It’s Coulson’s pets and god damn Captain America. Do we have you to thank for last night’s chewing out? Can’t you take a fucking joke?”

“You weren’t joking. You were disgusting,” Jane snapped indignantly. 

“You don’t like what we have to say, stay the fuck away,” Rumlow sneered, coming to loom over the petite scientist. 

Looking up at the scornful soldier Jane straightened her shoulders and angrily fisting her hands fiercely exclaimed, “I plan to. Once word gets out so will the rest of the women in town. No one is going to want to have anything to do with you.”

Rumlow snorted, “Like I told you before you get hungry enough you’ll do anything for something to eat. Winter is fucking long around here. You really think we’re going to bring in enough food to feed everyone for six months? You’ll be on your knees begging for it.” 

“I’d rather die,” Jane shot back. 

“We’ll see. You just might,” Rumlow mocked as he turned to leave only to come face to face with Steve. The angry blond ordered, “Apologize. You don’t speak that way to a lady. ”

Rumlow reared back, taken by surprise at how close Steve had gotten and with a narrow-eyed glare scoffed, “Apologize?! Who the hell do you think you are?”

With a rueful smirk, Steve replied, “Me? I’m just a kid from Brooklyn.” He added heatedly, “And, I know a bully when I see one. You think you’re a big man threatening those weaker than you? That’s not leadership. It’s nothing but fear.” 

Standing toe to toe with Steve, Rumlow growled, “Fuck you. You get shit done with fear. And, what the hell would you know? If you’re such a hotshot where’s your team?”

Steve smiled slowly and looking the man up and down, made a quick, obviously unimpressed assessment. He scornfully said, “I don’t need a team to know you won’t last.” 

“You don’t know shit. You think you’re going to come down here and take over? I don’t care who the fuck you are. Fury isn’t going to reassign guys. It’s not going to happen. We’re not going anywhere. You got that? Now get the fuck out of my way,” Rumlow furiously snarled as he roughly pushed Steve aside, purposefully slamming into his shoulder as he passed. 

“Anyone can be replaced. Even you,” Jane said as a parting shot. 

Rumlow laughed maliciously as he walked away saying, “Yeah, right. You’d starve without us and you know it.”

The rest of the team followed silently in their leader’s wake. Most were grim, but the few bringing up the rear looked away guiltily as they passed, clearly uncomfortable with the exchange. As the trio watched, the team split up and headed to the semi-trucks parked up and down the street. Moments later engines roared to life, and one by one the massive trucks pulled into the street and made their way out of town. 

Staring after them with a troubled frown Steve turned to Darcy and Jane and said, “I’m sorry about that.” 

“What? Why? You were great. It’s nice to see someone stand up to Rumlow,” Darcy declared. 

With a huff, Jane opened the door to the coffee shop saying, “I hate that guy. I really wanted to punch him.” 

“I hear you. I just wish the guys that disagree with him would speak up,” Darcy said pensively. 

“None of them are going to say anything. Rumlow’s beaten them down so much they’re following out of fear,” Steve observed as he joined the women in the quaint shop.

“Rumlow’s not wrong, you know. As much as I hate to say it, we do need them,” Darcy said reluctantly as they approached the coffee counter.

“I take it you saw the team?” Henry asked them by way of greeting. 

“Yeah. Steve let Rumlow have it,” Darcy happily shared. 

“Good. Someone needs to,” Henry replied, adding confidently, “I can’t think of anyone better to do it than Captain America. I heard you were in town. It’s good to meet you, sir. Henry O’Malley.”

“Wow, word spread fast,” Darcy exclaimed. “When did you find out about Steve?”

“Over breakfast. Why are you so surprised? The sheriff found out last night. I’m shocked it took this long for word to get out,” Henry replied.

“It’s nice to meet you, too. And, it’s just Steve,” the blond awkwardly responded. Trying to rally he said, “So, I hear you serve the best coffee in town?”

Henry chuckled and said, “It’s the only coffee in town. Keeping the shop open is just my way of trying to help out. Everyone likes to go out for coffee.”

“It’s what gets me out of bed some mornings,” Darcy grumbled good-naturedly.

Henry smiled at her fondly and said, “I opened the syrups this morning. I’ve got hazelnut, caramel, peppermint and vanilla.”

“Awesome. I’ll take caramel. And hazelnut for Phil,” Darcy said.

“You haven’t been in with him the last few days. Do I need to start worrying about you two?” Henry teased. 

“What? No,” Darcy protested, adding indignantly, “He’s been busy. And, there’s nothing _to_ worry about.”

“Huh. If you say so,” Henry replied as he filled the trio’s coffee orders. He smiled mischievously at Jane and whispered, “You’ll keep me informed if something changes on that front?”

Delighted, Jane grinned and attempted to covertly respond, “I’ll keep you posted.”

“I’m standing right here! And, you’re supposed to be on my side,” Darcy objected, with a light poke at Jane.

“I am on your side,” Jane cheerfully declared as she waived Darcy off. She gleefully added, “Part of being on your side is making sure the gossip is accurate. I’m just looking out for you.”

“Great. Accurate gossip,” Darcy deadpanned, adding with obvious false outrage, “Don’t you two have better things to do?” 

Amused by the women’s antics, Steve silently followed after them as they left the shop, continuing to gently bicker with one another. He was flooded with bittersweet memories of Bucky and the relatively carefree days they shared in Brooklyn before the war. Arguing with Bucky had practically been a form of entertainment and he missed it. Steve looked on as the women continued to affectionately snipe at one another and wished he knew them well enough to join. As bright and animated as they each were he had a feeling he would enjoy it. 

Returning to the parking lot the trio distributed beverages to Clint and Natasha and stood back to watch as Coulson finished dispatching the local volunteers. Catching his eye, Darcy smirked and held up a cup of coffee as if to tempt him to join them. A flicker of a smile crossed Coulson’s face before he made excuses and stepped away to join their group. 

“Hey, there,” Darcy greeted him affectionately as she handed him his coffee, adding, “I figured with the day you’re going to have you could use a pick me up.” 

“Thank you,” he replied with a warm appreciative look as he nodded to the rest of the group and wished them good morning. After taking a sip of his coffee he turned to Jane and said, “The next group down should be the engineers the Director was sending to help with the high school. While you have them here, find out what else they might be able to help with. We’ve got three weeks. Let’s put them to work.”

Jane nodded in acknowledgment and glancing up at the helicarrier said wistfully, “Any chance I might get a look at the carrier’s engines?”

“I think that can be arranged at some point,” Coulson assured her.

“You must be thrilled to have so much extra help,” Darcy observed.

“Yes, the additional manpower is going to make a difference. Today’s expedition has been expanded. In addition to the nine trucks we already have, we’ll be able to pick up the five remaining trucks at the potato warehouse in Montrose. Fed Ex, UPS, and Coke each have depots in Alamosa, so we should be able to confiscate their trucks as well. With the five trucks already at Walmart and the three at the grocery stores, we’ll have quite a convoy.”

“Cool. Now the question is – who do you have on coffee detail?” Darcy asked in all seriousness. 

“Coffee? That’s what I should be worried about?” Coulson questioned in mild exasperation, as a flicker of amusement crossed his face. 

“It is if you know what’s good for you,” Darcy quipped.

“I can assure you coffee is taken care of,” Coulson confidently replied. With a nod toward the edge of the parking lot he said, “As you can see the horse trailers are ready to go. There’s also a Ford dealership that we’re planning to visit. Strike reported there were trailers nearby so we should be able to add a few more to our convoy. There should be a sufficient number of trailers for the groups assigned to the area’s restaurants.”

“Well, it sounds like you have a plan,” Darcy grudgingly admitted, adding remorsefully, “I just wish I could go.”

“Maybe next time,” Coulson said consolingly. Gently cupping her elbow he leaned in and said with a worried expression, “It’s more important you get your arm taken care of.” 

As Darcy blushed under Coulson’s attentive concern, Clint smirked as he caught Natasha’s eye. The redhead raised a subtle brow in surprise, clearly wondering about the conversation she had just witnessed. Shrugging in response Clint took a sip of his coffee and said, “We should head out. And, Darcy, I promise if I see any coffee I’ll bring it back.”

“Awesome. Just be careful. Strike missed a zombie last time,” Darcy warned.

“Yeah, we’ll keep an eye out. I’ve packed protection this time. We’re set,” Clint replied, unconcerned.

“What do you mean they missed a zombie?” Steve asked worriedly.

“The team does a walk through town and clears the shops of bodies and any remaining infected before we send people in for supplies,” Coulson explained.

“Last time they missed one and it almost got Darcy,” Clint said resentfully.

Steve and Natasha turned to look at Darcy questioningly who said with a nonchalant shrug, “I got away.”

“She got lucky,” Clint said growled, obviously not as willing to dismiss the seriousness of the situation. 

“Which is why I’m telling you to be careful,” Darcy replied in exasperation, adding. “That one was eating a dead person. Apparently, they aren’t fussy about fresh food. So you know, one could still be alive.”

With reassurances that they would be careful Clint, Natasha and Steve set off for Alamosa. The trio didn’t expect trouble but they were armed in anticipation of trouble finding them. Steve had been surprised when Clint offered him a gun but had readily accepted it, feeling better being armed given the circumstances. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the possibility of killing a man that couldn’t fight back, but from the sounds of things, zombies didn’t take the time to chat. Steve concluded he would probably fall on the side of caution. He hated to think about making a mistake. 

After the trio departed, Jane left for the high school with the helicarrier’s engineers in tow, leaving Coulson and Darcy alone in the parking lot. After a hectic morning, Coulson embraced the momentary calm. He knew he had a long day ahead of him and appreciated having Darcy to himself for a few minutes. As he shepherded her onto the shuttle, he good-naturedly fended off her many excited questions and observations and wryly teased her knowing she enjoyed it just as much as he did. 

“Phil, this is so cool. Like I said before it’s just like Star Trek,” Darcy exclaimed as she took a seat. 

“I wasn’t aware you were such a Star Trek fan.”

“Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate. I’ve watched them all,” Darcy glibly replied, only to pause and say thoughtfully, “Actually, they all have shuttles. I guess it’s not just a Star Trek thing.”

“So it’s ok to wear red?” Coulson asked drily, referring to the previous night’s conversation.

“Red only applies to old school Star Trek. Star Wars and Stargate had an equal opportunity policy when it came to killing extras.”

“I see,” Coulson replied flatly, clearly not seeing, but not about to ask for clarification.

Darcy grinned at him knowing full well he was humoring her and she appreciated the effort. 

As the vehicle lifted off she marveled, “You can barely feel it move. There’s hardly any vibrating from the engine. How do they do that?” 

“It’s my understanding there is some hover technology in place that smooths out the ride,” Coulson responded with a fond smile.

Getting up to look out the window to see the town spread out below, Darcy exclaimed, “Wow, it really is small, isn’t it? You can basically see everything and we aren’t even up that high.”

Coming to stand next to her Coulson replied, “No, it’s not large, but it’s sufficient. It has everything we really need.”

“Yeah,” Darcy said quietly. Glancing over at him she added somberly, “Hard to believe it’s basically all that’s left of civilization.”

“For now. The rest of the world is still out there. I expect in time we’ll be in touch with it again. Until then we’ll make due,” Coulson calmly replied, trying to reassure her. 

Darcy nodded solemnly as she stared out the shuttle window taking in the mountains rising up to greet them. The view was dazzling as the morning sun cast the peaks in sharp relief against the vivid blue sky. She was drinking in the sight before her when the shuttle landed on the carrier’s flight deck causing her to momentarily lose her balance and bump into Coulson. He quickly steadied her, and as the shuttle door opened he took Darcy’s hand and with a pat placed it in the crook of his arm and guided her off the vehicle. Stepping out onto the tarmac Darcy came to an abrupt stop as she took in the flight deck and the immense control tower. She exclaimed in amazement, “This is huge. It’s even bigger up close.” 

As high up as they were, the wind whipped Darcy’s hair about and she struggled to get it under control with just her one hand. Stepping closer to block the wind Coulson brushed Darcy’s hair aside and tucked it behind her ear for her. He appraised her for a moment and catching her eye, he smiled affectionately before slipping her arm under his again. Leading her across the deck, Coulson helped Darcy over the high lip of the deck door saying, “You’ll find the ship is set up much like an aircraft carrier. The bridge is in the control tower we just passed. The infirmary is on the second deck, directly below the flight deck and hanger deck. The crew lives on the third and fourth decks and below that is the engine room. Of course, there are also turbines at the four corners of the craft that keep us in the air.”

As they approached a set of stairs that looked almost like a ladder, Coulson went first and immediately turned back to check on Darcy. She smiled self-consciously as she cautiously stepped down. It quickly became apparent why Coulson looked so anxious and ready to catch her at any moment. Darcy only had her one hand to hold on to the safety rail and found it a challenge to maintain her balance on the steep steps with her center of gravity offset due to her injury. They made slow progress with Coulson reaching out to steady her as she neared the bottom of each flight. With a rueful smile, Darcy willingly accepted his assistance, feeling safer with him so close, knowing he’d catch her if she fell. 

With a gentle reassuring look, Coulson caught Darcy halfway down the last flight and she let out a short burst of laughter as he spun her around and set her gently on her feet. She was blushing and smiling bashfully all the while clearly delighted by Coulson’s gesture. He responded to Darcy’s reaction with a short satisfied smirk as he steadied her. As Darcy slowly pulled away Coulson placed his hand at her waist and guided her forward saying, “The infirmary is just this way. It’s small but they should be able to take care of you.” He added regretfully, “I’m sorry to leave you but I need to speak with the Director.”

“I’ll be fine,” Darcy assured him, adding, “They’re going to knock me out. I wouldn’t even know it if you were here.”

“I’ll try to be here when you wake up,” Coulson said, hovering next to her. 

“I won’t be going anywhere. From what I’ve heard I’m still going to be a bit out of it after the anesthesia wears off,” Darcy replied as she turned to acknowledge the approaching nurse.

“Yes, that’s likely,” Coulson agreed, making no move to leave.

Darcy smiled tolerantly and asked with mild amusement, “Don’t you have a meeting to get to?”

“Ah, yes. Right. I should go,” Coulson responded somewhat chagrined, still hesitating. 

“I’ll be fine. Go,” Darcy gently urged with an indulgent look.

With an almost self-conscious nod, Coulson stepped away saying, “I’ll be back for you later.” With a parting glance at the door, he finally left. Turning to the waiting nurse Darcy shrugged and with a small pleased smile said, “He worries.”

As Coulson made his way to Fury’s office he chastised himself for the slight trepidation he felt at leaving Darcy in the infirmary. He knew she’d be fine. He knew his worry, as ridiculous as it was, stemmed from his new feelings for Darcy and there was little he could do about it. With a repressed sigh, he knocked on Fury’s door and firmly banished his other concerns for the moment. Preparing to face Fury’s perceptive gaze, Coulson mentally donned his usual reticent mask and confidently strode into the meeting. 

The pair quickly went over the day’s plans, agreeing that with the additional manpower chances were they would only need the day to gather provisions. They also concluded they would leave Alamosa’s small college, its technical school and local library for another day due to time constraints. While the schools and library might offer materials that would be useful they didn’t have the time to fully explore them. With the promise of a fuel delivery, Coulson was confident they could make another trip to town at a later date. 

With the day’s details settled, Fury moved on to other business. “I had an interesting conversation last night with Captain America. Apparently, he wants to babysit your scientist. Something about a solar farm and your Strike team’s inappropriate behavior making her uncomfortable?” Fury said in consternation. 

“Ah, yes. Could we borrow him for a few days? Assigning him to Dr. Foster might resolve that specific issue. I’ve been putting off escorting her to the farm for a number of reasons,” Coulson explained, adding, “I was hoping that you might have an engineer on staff or were in touch with someone in a military rescue that had experience with the electrical grid. Dr. Foster led me to believe it would take quite some time for her to secure our power if she had to do so on her own.”

“You can have Captain America as long as you need him,” Fury offered. “And, I’ll check with staff to see who might be of use. In the meantime, I thought we’d set up a meeting with Denver’s rescue. Maybe they have someone,” Fury suggested offhandedly.

“We can hope,” Coulson replied skeptically. 

Fury snorted as he nodded in understanding as he too didn’t hold out much hope that Denver’s rescue would have anything to offer either of them. Thus far the military rescue response had been limited at best. Both men were coming to realize the only people they could rely on were each other. 

With that understanding, the pair was able to make some quick decisions. Comparing notes on the barley and potato warehouses they agreed the town’s people would show the carrier’s agents the ropes and help as needed. Teams would be sent in to clear the warehouses while others would get to work on the cleaning and bagging systems. With luck, they would fill the helicarrier’s stores in the coming three weeks. 

Satisfied his most pressing concern had been addressed Fury relaxed back in his chair and said expectantly, “Now about some transfers. I have a handful of agents who need to get off the carrier. They’re skilled. They just haven’t adapted well. How many could you take in?”  


Coulson leaned over his notes as he considered the matter, “We could accommodate some. No more than ten really. We just relocated a number of tourists to vacation homes at the edge of town so there are rooms in a hotel, but they aren’t large or particularly comfortable and they’d have to share.”

“We can work with ten. And, I don’t think anyone will complain if they have a choice between the carrier and a small hotel room,” Fury replied with certainty. 

Making a note Coulson said, “Let me know how many and their specialty. We’ll find a way to work them in.” Glancing up he added, “It’s possible there are those that would want to join you. I’d like to give agents the option to leave if we’re taking in new people.”

“That’s fine. We’re crowded but if we’re leaving a few behind we’ll have a few open bunks,” Fury said agreeably.

Sensing Fury was finished Coulson departed from his usual taciturn nature and leaned forward eagerly, saying, “I was hoping we could discuss another large excursion. While there are other towns closer, Albuquerque would offer more supplies and it’s just 5 hours away. On our own, I wouldn’t risk going that far. But, with the carrier and the promise of fuel we could make it. We could confiscate more trucks once we arrived and the helicarrier would allow us to bring in even more. It would be a huge opportunity.” 

“We should be able to help out. I’m guessing it would be better to do it sooner rather than later. Who knows what the weather will be. So, next week? How many days do you think you’ll need?” Fury asked. 

“Yes, the weather is a concern,” Coulson agreed. “I was thinking two days for actually gathering supplies, with a day before and a day after for trucks to travel. If we sent the trucks a day ahead they could get an initial lay of the land. It would also allow the Strike team to do at least a cursory search of the area for any infected that might still be alive,” Coulson explained, adding, “I thought the helicarrier could drop off volunteers the following morning. We could have everyone spend the night in local hotels and finish gathering supplies on the second day. We’d have the trucks return the next morning. I would prefer they not drive at night given the circumstances.”

“That sounds doable,” Fury assured him.

“Speaking of the weather,” Coulson said expectantly, “Something I was hoping you’d be able to help us with is weather reports. If you were able to keep an eye on our area and relay reports it would be helpful especially during the winter. We’ve been lucky so far. Except for an ice storm it’s been fairly clear but I expect that will change soon. A warning would be nice.”

“Yes, I think that’s something we can help you with. We’ve got access to satellite imaging and NATO forces are also relaying reports. We should be able to contact them and ask that they can do the same for you.”

“Excellent. I’ve been worried about people getting caught out in a storm. As winter gets closer I’m hesitant to send teams out. Reports would help with planning,” Coulson explained.

“Weather has been a concern for us too,” Fury admitted, adding darkly, “I’d prefer not to be here when it starts to snow.”

“Where were you planning to go when you leave us?” Coulson asked curiously.

“I’m not sure. The west coast would be the warmest, but the Gulf of Mexico provides better access to fuel. Houston would be able to keep us supplied, and we could unload some people there too,” Fury said contemplatively. 

“I see. You can always come visit us during hurricane season,” Coulson offered with a slight smirk.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Fury responded dryly. 

As their meeting wound down and the pair finished hammering out specific plans Fury leaned back in his chair and considered Coulson for a long moment. Referring to the previous night he said, “So, pretty co-eds call you Phil now? Something going on there you’d like to tell me about Coulson?”

Coulson stilled for just a second mentally cursing Fury’s observation skills. He quickly responded, attempting to appear unfazed, “There’s not much to tell, sir.”

“Hmm. Not much doesn’t mean nothing,” Fury observed as he coolly evaluated the agent. 

Coulson hesitated before saying, “Darcy and I are – friendly. She was Dr. Foster’s intern. I’ve known her for quite some time.” 

“I see. Well, consider this my blessing if you need one. Times being what they are – well. Enjoy it while you can,” Fury said solicitously. 

With a cautious nod, Coulson offered, “It’s a bit premature but I believe Darcy and I might come to an understanding.”

“She’s young,” Fury gruffly warned.

“I know sir,” Coulson acknowledged somewhat aggrieved at the idea.

 

.  
The day was quickly warming as volunteers disembarked from shuttles in the Walmart parking lot. The empty town had a desolate, bleak feel to it, as the high desert environment offered few trees and little grass. Clint, Natasha, and Steve parked at the edge of the lot and were joining the gathering when shots rang out, coming from the other side of the massive building. A handful of those gathered immediately broke into a run. Steve quickly overtook the crowd and as he came around the corner of the building he heard more gunfire. He watched in shock as one of the Strike team fell heavily to the ground. Coming up short Steve starred in horror as Rumlow lowered his gun. Standing beside him were five other Strike team members looking shaken. The rest of the agents were just coming around the side of the building when Rumlow barked, “Get some shovels. You’ve got some digging to do.” Glancing over at Steve he sneered, “What are you looking at?”

“You shot him!” Steve exclaimed as he threw himself to his knees and frantically checked for a pulse.

“Yeah. It was him or us and I choose us,” Rumlow replied scornfully as he watched Steve hover over the man.

“Why would you shoot him?” Steve urgently demanded as he pushed aside the man’s jacket to evaluate the damage. 

“Because the idiot got bit. He was as good as dead,” Rumlow replied dismissively.

“You don’t know that!” Steve argued, desperately applying pressure to the man’s chest, his hands quickly becoming covered in blood. 

“What the fuck do you know? I did us all a favor. A few hours from now he’d have been trying to kill us all,” Rumlow said scornfully. 

As a crowd gathered behind Steve, uneasy murmurs could be heard as they took in the pool of blood rapidly engulfing the black-clad body. While those present knew the dangers they faced once they left the confines of town or the helicarrier, none expected such callous disregard for a victim of an attack. Rumlow’s arrogance and insensitivity were shocking, even to seasoned agents. 

Realizing it was hopeless, Steve slowly sat back on his heels and holding his bloody hands away from his body glared up at Rumlow and said angrily, “You can’t just kill someone.” 

Rumlow sneered and said, “It needed to be done. He knew the risks. He should have been more careful.”

Coming to stand at Steve’s side Clint said, “I thought you guys cleared the town.” 

“Yeah well, looks like we missed one,” Rumlow snapped. With a snarl, he turned away and barked at the five Strike team members standing off to the side, “What are you still standing here for? Get some shovels. And, get that damn zombie out of there.” Three of the men scurried away, disappearing into the building, leaving the other two shifting miserably behind their leader, looking worriedly down at their dead teammate. 

“You can’t bury him here,” Steve protested, as he took in the dreary, weed-covered backlot.

“Where the hell else are we going to bury him?” Rumlow demanded, adding, “He’s infected. You want to carry him back to town and infect everyone?”

“He deserves our respect.”

Rumlow snorted in disgust, “Respect? The guy got himself bit.” Glancing irritably at the two remaining Strike team members still standing looking dejectedly down at the body, he snarled, “What are you still standing there for? Move!”

With a regretful glance at the body, one of the men stepped away, heading back into the store. The other hesitated and then knelt across from Steve. He carefully pulled the gun from the dead man’s hands and began to pat down his pockets. Meanwhile, both agents and local people stood silently watching the macabre scene unfold, unsure how to respond. With a scowl, Rumlow turned to the crowd and yelled, “What the fuck are you all looking at? Get back to work!”

Muttering, the crowd slowly dispersed. Steve remained, kneeling helplessly next to the body, not knowing what to do. With a disgusted sneer Rumlow growled at him, “You might be Captain fucking America but you don’t tell me or my guys what to do. You got that? Now get the fuck out of here. Some of us have work to do.” 

Steve jerked back as if struck before quickly getting to his feet and saying reproachfully, “You killed a man in cold blood. You’re going to answer for that.”

Rumlow snorted, “What are you going to do about it? The guy’s dead. You think anyone cares? He would have been dead by the end of the day anyway.”

“You don’t know that.”

“The hell I don’t. He got bit.” 

The Strike soldier that was kneeling over the body spoke up saying, “The bite didn’t break the skin. Chris might have made it.” He pulled the dead man’s sleeve up to show a faint red mark with the flesh clearly still intact.

Silence greeted the man’s observation. With a grunt, Rumlow turned and stalked back into the building. As the soldier carefully laid the dead man’s arm at his side he glanced up at Steve and said quietly, “Chris saved Rumlow’s ass last week. A zombie came out of nowhere and grabbed him. Chris shot the thing before Rumlow could even react.”

Taking in the man’s subdued sorrow, Steve helplessly offered what little comfort he could saying consolingly, “I’m sorry. This shouldn’t have happened.”

Glancing furtively at Steve the soldier replied flatly, “No. It shouldn’t have.” 

Moments later another Strike team member appeared dragging a heavily laden tarp out of the store. Three others exited the building, handed off a tarp and began to dig a hole at the edge of the lot. As the soldier carefully rolled the dead man on to the tarp he glanced up from his task and considered Steve for a long moment, obviously assessing him. With a resolute nod to himself, he took a breath and asked hopefully, “Are you going to talk to Coulson?”

“Yes,” Steve quickly assured him, adding vehemently, “Rumlow needs to answer for this.”

At his response, the five Strike team members present stopped what they were doing to look at him questioningly. Seeing he had the men’s attention Steve stood a little straighter and said, “I promise you I will not let this go. Where I’m from soldiers are treated with respect. Especially by those in command. This is the sort of thing that happens when leaders forget that. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. Your friend will have the justice he deserves.” 

The soldier that had been speaking to Steve finished wrapping the body and as he came to his feet said, “Good. Because Chris deserved better.” With a respectful nod in Steve’s direction, he began to pull the tarp-covered body over to the partially dug grave.

Steve stood watching helplessly for a moment, knowing he had little else to offer other than his promise that Rumlow would answer for his crime. He knew how the soldiers were feeling. The sharp pain of loss was constantly with him since Bucky’s death and Steve knew there was nothing he could say or do that would stem their pain. Realizing the team probably wanted to carry out their grim task privately, he turned away to find Clint and Natasha standing silently at his side. He glanced at the pair and holding his bloody hands away from his body he stalked away with a grim, determined expression. 

The rest of the day was overshadowed by the morning’s events. Agents quickly assembled teams but few spoke as they went about their tasks, consulting lists and gathering supplies. Besides Walmart, groups were dispatched to the town’s two grocery stores, a farm store, two medical centers, two pharmacies, a hardware store, a garden store, a computer store, a book store, a fabric store and a host of restaurants and mini-markets. Clint, Natasha, and Steve were assigned a ski and sports store and after Steve got cleaned up in the store’s bathroom the trio spent the morning gathering winter clothing with only minimal conversation. 

At lunch the trio gathered at the lip of their trailer and silently broke open MREs. Steve eventually said, “That man should not have died. He didn’t have a mark on him. And, even if he was infected he should have been given time to find some sort of peace with it.” When neither Clint nor Natasha responded he worriedly demanded, “Rumlow is going to be held accountable, isn’t he?” 

Clint and Natasha shared a glance. Shifting uneasily in his seat Clint hesitantly said, “I don’t know. I mean, I’d like to say yes. But -”

“He shot a man in cold blood,” Steve interrupted in outrage.

“Yes,” Natasha quietly agreed. Setting aside her MRE she said, “Coulson’s in a tough position. Strike does the dirty work so civilians don’t have to. They take care of bodies and they find and kill zombies. The town needs them.”

“It doesn’t excuse murder,” Steve objected.

“No, it doesn’t. But Coulson doesn’t have a lot of options. And, an argument could be made the man was going to die,” Natasha said pragmatically.

Appalled, Steve argued, “He didn’t have to die like that. That was barbaric.”

“Yes, it was,” Natasha readily agreed, adding, “But things are different now. It would be a waste of resources to hold Rumlow in the town jail. The only choice Coulson has it to force him to leave. But then he runs the risk the team mutinying.” “Although…” Natasha began only to stop with a thoughtful frown. 

“What?” Steve demanded. 

Clint paused eating to briefly look at Natasha and when she didn’t continue he offered, “I don’t think Rumlow’s got the team under as tight as control as he thinks. They might not stick by him. They have it pretty good here. And, it’s clear at least a couple were pissed that he killed that guy. I think they’d turn on him if they knew they had another option.”

“Rumlow needs to answer for his crime. He shouldn’t get away with it just because Coulson needs him. He’s not indispensable. Other men can do the work,” Steve insisted.

“I agree,” Clint said, raising his hand, trying to placate the blond. “After last night Coulson knows Rumlow’s going to be trouble. Getting rid of him now would probably be in everyone’s best interests. It’ll be harder to do the longer he’s here. The question is if he were asked to leave what would Rumlow do?”

“What do you mean? What could he do?” Steve asked, looking up from his meal. 

Clint glanced at Natasha who simply shrugged indifferently as she continued to eat her meal. Clint considered his answer before offering, “It’s hard to say. He’d probably try to get the team to come with him. Even if that didn’t work he’d take one of the jeeps and a ton of supplies. I could see him trashing stuff before he left. Strike sleeps at the school. He might do a number on the greenhouse.”

“We can stop him. We just won’t leave him alone until he leaves town,” Steve said decisively.

“And, if he comes back?”

“We make sure he knows he’s not welcome. I got the impression last night that the sheriff would be happy to make that clear,” Steve replied knowingly.

“True,” Clint conceded with a nod. 

“With Rumlow gone, Strike will need a leader,” Natasha said, casting an expectant look at Steve, adding, “Judging by their behavior I doubt Rumlow let much of command structure develop. That opens up some possibilities.” When the blond didn’t react Natasha continued, “Fury was hoping to leave a few people here. Coulson could use someone with Strike’s skill set.” 

Steve silently continued to eat his meal not visibly responding to what Natasha had to say. After a moment he casually asked, “Do you think staying is an option?”

“I do. Now that Strike is a man down, Coulson’s going to need someone with tactical skills. If Rumlow leaves Coulson’s going to need someone with the ability to lead a team. I’m sure he would find room for anyone with that sort of experience,” Natasha coolly replied.

“One of the hotels is empty,” Clint added offhandedly. “I think the plan was to move Strike out of the high school and closer to town now that the tourists have been relocated to vacation homes.”

“So the town has room,” Natasha questioned.

“Yeah, I think there are about ten rooms, so you know, two to a room? Strike needs five which leaves some rooms left. I think the town could handle a few more people,” Clint said.

Natasha nodded thoughtfully as she glanced over at Steve who was quietly eating his lunch, clearly deep in thought. She quirked a questioning eyebrow at Clint, who responded with a shrug. Finishing his lunch, he stretched and said, “You know we’re almost done here. Rivera told me about a hobby shop that’s supposed to be across the parking lot. Told me if we had time we should clean it out. He said something about keeping people busy during the winter with games and model kits.” Clint added pensively, “I always thought putting together a model airplane would be cool. Never got to when I was a kid.”

Looking up from his lunch Steve cautiously asked, “Would a shop like that have art supplies?” 

“Hey, sure. Probably not top of the line stuff but at the very least they’d have those paint by number kits,” Clint replied.

Finishing their lunch, the trio returned to the sporting goods store to finish gathering anything that looked useful. They found a surplus of freeze-dried foods normally used for camping, that while not on their list, they included in their haul. Clint stood before a large display of mountain bikes with a contemplative frown before saying, “You know these might come in handy. We could use them eight months out of the year. And, we wouldn’t have to worry about gas.”

“We’ve got room,” Natasha offered as she came to stand next to him. 

With a nod, Clint pulled a bike off of a rack saying, “They’re not on our list. I’m not taking the blame for this alone. You agreed.”

Natasha snorted in exasperation, “It’ll be fine.”

“You heard that Steve? Natasha agreed. When Coulson complains you have to back me up,” Clint good-naturedly gripped as he rolled the bike out of the shop.

Coming to stand before the display Steve looked the bikes over and said wistfully, “Bikes have changed since I last rode one. I think I’d like to give one a try.”

“You know if you stayed you could have one,” Natasha said casually. 

Steve glanced over at her, surprised as well as intrigued by her blatant comment, “Yeah?”

“Especially if you were Coulson’s new team lead,” Natasha replied offhandedly as she rolled a bike away.

Steve stood staring after Natasha dumbfounded. Her suggestion that he could lead the Strike team caught him off guard. For a moment everything fell away as he considered the real possibility of staying. It would be such a relief to get off the helicarrier to say nothing of being able to lead a team again. Steve had only just begun to entertain the notion that it was possible he could stay and he only hoped he might be able to get a spot on the team. He hadn’t considered the possibility of becoming Strike’s team lead. As the idea began to take hold, hope surged through Steve. As he took a bike down from the rack and rolled it out of the store, he thought with relief how good it would feel to once again have something useful to do.


	13. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly During the Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson has a very long day. Darcy inadvertently reveals how she feels. Fury finds a new verbal sparring partner. Rumlow learns laws still exist, even during an apocalypse. The Strike team gets shaken up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to thestancyg for proofreading and brainstorming! I couldn't do this without you.
> 
> Warning for bad language.

Taking a shuttle down to Alamosa, Coulson and Fury were able to see the entire rural town laid out in the center of the broad alpine valley. Mountains in the distance enclosed the valley from all sides, and it was a dry, dusty uninviting landscape. It wasn’t a place that invited people to stay. Yet, it was the rich soil and abundant water from the Rio Grand River that caused the valley to be settled. It was through extensive irrigation that the agricultural industry had come to thrive in such an isolated austere place. As Alamosa was the most central town in the valley, small as it was, it had become the far-flung community’s metropolitan center. It offered an abundance of shopping which played in Coulson’s favor in his efforts to bring in enough provisions to see Creede through the winter. 

Stepping off the shuttle into the surprisingly warm glare of the afternoon sun, Coulson and Fury squinted as they joined a few agents gathered around two semi-trucks. They found Agent Rivera looking a little harried as he spoke on the phone and consulted a clipboard full of lists. 

“So, what’s the situation?” Coulson asked after the man got off the phone.

“We hit the motherlode, sir. Walmart is a gold mine. We’ve filled this truck with electronics and entertainment materials. The other is clothing,” Rivera said, gesturing to the trucks behind him. “We have another seven trucks being filled with groceries, paper products, cleaning supplies, and grooming products,” Rivera reported. He eagerly added, “Teams are also making good progress at the grocery stores and the farm store. So are the teams clearing out the restaurants.” He hesitated before offering regretfully, “The doctor is concerned he won’t have space back in the clinic for everything they’re finding at the medical centers and pharmacies. I told him to focus on drugs for now. If necessary we can always come back.”

With a pinched brow, Coulson considered the situation saying, “We’re going to need to find another location to store medical supplies. But, you’re right, we can come back if we need to.”

“Electronics and entertainment materials?” Fury inquired with a skeptical frown.

“Yes. Computers, tablets, smart TVs, DVD players, iPods. Anything you can watch a movie or read a book or play music on. We’re also bringing in books, magazines, games, DVDs, CDs, yarn, fabric, craft kits. Anything to keep people occupied this winter,” Coulson explained.

“That’s not a bad idea. Boredom is a problem on the carrier too.”

“One of our goals is to provide everyone in town with the means to read an electronic book or watch a movie. Preferably on a laptop,” Coulson eagerly shared, clearly excited at the prospect. 

Fury raised an eyebrow, surprised to see the agent depart from his usual restrained nature. 

As Coulson and Fury appeared to finish their brief conversation Rivera nervously interjected, “Sir? There’s something else.” He glanced apprehensively between the two men standing before him. With a pinched uneasy look, he solemnly said, “We had an incident this morning. One of the Strike guys was killed. Chris Harlow? He was attacked by a zombie and Rumlow shot him.”

Sharing a worried look with Fury and hoping he had misunderstood, Coulson urgently asked, “Rumlow shot the zombie or Harlow?” 

“Both,” Rivera replied tersely. “I didn’t witness the shooting but those who did were concerned with how the situation was handled.”

“It wasn’t an accident?”

“From all reports no. Rumlow shot Harlow point-blank right after the attack. I guess he said something about how Harlow was going to die anyway,” Rivera said disbelievingly.

“I see,” Coulson replied flatly. Rivera’s news hit like a lead balloon. A man dying wasn’t something Coulson had been prepared for, given that the virus appeared to have burned itself out. That Harlow died at his team leader’s hands shook Coulson as he hadn’t expected Rumlow to be quite so ruthless. As difficult and uncouth as Rumlow was, Coulson expected him to display some level of compassion for a member of his team at the very least. Still, a part of Coulson wasn’t completely surprised by the man’s actions. The unsavory behavior Rumlow had exhibited recently reflected his view on the world. Apparently, for him, life had less value in the face of so much death. 

Sharing another grim look with Fury, Coulson asked, “Who did witness the shooting?”

“From what I understand Captain America was the first on the scene. There were some Strike guys there too. We heard gunfire right after we arrived and a number of agents went to investigate. I was told the Captain and Rumlow had words.”

After a moment’s consideration, Coulson asked, “Where’s Rumlow now?”

“Here,” Rivera replied incredulously, clearly disturbed at the ease with which Rumlow moved on from killing a man. Gesturing to the massive building behind him he added appalled, “He went back to work. He’s inside overseeing groceries.” 

Coulson frowned at the news but didn’t appear concerned. Crossing his arms he asked expectantly, “Does the sheriff know?”

“He’s been interviewing witnesses. I got the impression he plans to make an arrest.”

With a dark, closed expression Coulson thanked Rivera for telling him the news and leading Fury off to the side of the parking lot he said, “I need to speak with the sheriff.”

“What do you plan to do?” Fury asked.

Coulson was resolute as he said, “It’s not my decision to make. If the sheriff thinks there is just cause to arrest Rumlow, we will. And anyone accused of murder has the right to a trial. We have a judge. We could sit a jury and hear the evidence. The community needs to decide how they want to handle situations like this.”

“Taking Rumlow in isn’t going to be easy,” Fury observed.

Coulson’s grim countenance clouded further as he said, “No, it won’t. I’ll see what the sheriff has in mind. It would be best if we could take Rumlow into custody quietly.”

“Agreed,” Fury said before diplomatically adding, “You have your hands full here. I think I’ll leave you to it. Let me know if you need any help.”

After seeing Fury off on a shuttle, Coulson reluctantly considered his phone before contacting the sheriff. He dreaded what he was about to hear but he couldn’t avoid it. Coulson had little doubt that the sheriff would want to charge Rumlow with murder. While the sheriff’s gossiping ways aggravated Coulson, he respected the man’s dedication to the community. Coulson knew the sheriff would see it as his responsibility to uphold the law no matter their current circumstances. Not that Coulson disagreed. Rumlow had callously killed a man. He had ignored procedure for dealing with a victim of an attack and had taken the matter into his own hands. With tragic results. Regardless of what his reasoning may have been, Rumlow’s actions added up to murder. 

Unsurprisingly, the sheriff had completed his initial investigation and planned to arrest Rumlow. After some deliberation, Coulson was able to convince him to wait until they returned to town and had more control over their environment. Finishing the call Coulson’s shoulder’s dropped in defeat as he let himself mourn another unnecessary death. Disturbed by the day’s events and disliking how helpless he felt, Coulson wearily resigned himself to waiting to see how the situation played out. 

As there was little for Coulson to do until that evening, he turned to help Agent Rivera oversee the rest of the day’s expedition. As full trucks began to line up in the parking lot, Coulson was busy gathering details as to their contents when he heard Agent Rivera say, “Now, there’s something you don’t see every day.”

Since the Rivera didn’t sound particularly worried it took a moment for Coulson to look up to see what had caught the man’s attention. What he saw caused him to pause for just a moment. Rivera was right. It wasn’t every day you saw a horse and buggy driving down the street. Quickly recovering from his surprise Coulson stepped forward and raised his arm in greeting. A middle-aged man wearing black trousers, and a blue shirt with suspenders waved in return and directed his horse toward them. Coulson quickly realized the man must be from the small Amish community that lived in the valley. 

As the horse and buggy came abreast of Coulson the man said, “Hello. It is good to see you.” Glancing up at the helicarrier he added, “We saw your vehicle last night. Are you military?”

“No. We’re SHIELD. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division,” Coulson replied. “I’m Agent Phil Coulson.”  


The man frowned, clearly perplexed by the answer but stepping down from the buggy shook Coulson’s hand and introduced himself, “Enos Yoder.” Glancing curiously at the agents that were staring at him in return, he asked, “What happened here? A friend called and warned us not to leave our homes. He said he would call back when it was safe. We never heard from him again. When he didn’t return our calls we came to town and found everyone was dead.”

“It was a virus. We believe it was biological warfare. Unfortunately, the entire country was affected. As far as we can tell, very few survived,” Coulson regretfully informed him. 

Clearly disturbed by the news Yoder looked from Coulson to the others congregated around them and with a puzzled frown asked, “How did you survive?”

“A group of us took shelter in Creede. We set up a roadblock and a quarantine. We were lucky,” Coulson explained, adding, “Can I ask, are you alone? Did more of your community survive?”

“Five households have survived that I know of. There might be others north of here.”

“I see. That is good news. There are about four hundred of us in Creede. There are another six hundred on the carrier,” Coulson said, gesturing to the vehicle hovering above them.

“Will you all be staying?”

“The helicarrier isn’t. They’re just here to help us for a few weeks. We’re trying to gather enough provisions to see us through the winter,” Coulson explained.

Yoder nodded thoughtfully as he glanced at the loaded trucks. Coulson quietly observed, “You must need supplies too.” It suddenly occurred to him that by cleaning out all of the stores, the man and the rest of his community would be left with nothing. Guilt crept over him as he realized they might have been too greedy, not considering that there could be others in the valley that would also need provisions. A thought struck Coulson that they might need to make arrangements to let people know where they could find help if they were in need. 

“Yes. There is much that we will need,” Yoder agreed. With an expectant look, he added, “It’s possible we could help each other. I run a dairy and my brother sells eggs. He’s kept much of the valley supplied with eggs for many years. My dairy is small but supplies more than I or my neighbors can use. Perhaps we can trade?”

Coulson enthusiastically responded, “We would be interested in trading with you. What is it you need?”

“Perhaps we can meet to talk? I’m sure my brother and the other men in the community would like to discuss an arrangement with you.”

“Yes, we can meet,” Coulson assured him. He paused and then hesitantly asked, “I am curious. How is it your brother got his eggs to market?”

With an understanding smile, Yoder replied, “We hired drivers. Since you have trucks it shouldn’t be difficult to get eggs to you. As long as you have gas.”

“We’re bringing in fuel from Texas so that shouldn’t be a problem.” 

“If that is the case, then we should be able to trade. We are in need of diesel fuel,” Yoder responded. 

“I see. Then I’m sure we can come to some sort of an agreement,” Coulson assured him.

After getting directions Coulson arranged to meet at the Yoder farm the following day. Watching the buggy pull away and head down the empty road, hope reinvigorated Coulson, overtaking the discouragement and worry that plagued him. The unexpected meeting was a windfall beyond anything he had dreamed of. It seemed incredible that the community could add eggs or possibly even dairy to their diet. Combined with the provisions they already had and those Coulson was expecting from their excursions they would be in an extraordinary position to face the coming winter. 

There were a few drawbacks that Coulson could immediately see in learning the Amish community had survived. He would now need to factor in providing them with supplies. It was a challenge he willingly accepted, particularly as the small group could offer something so precious in return. Glancing at the semi-trucks behind him Coulson considered what it was the Amish would normally need to buy as he knew they weren’t self-sustainable communities. Besides groceries, he suspected they would need fabric as they sewed their own clothes. Beyond that, he wasn’t sure. The request for diesel fuel had come as a surprise. While he knew Amish used a small amount of electricity he had never given much thought as to how they obtained it. But if fuel was what they needed in order to provide Creede with eggs and cheese, Coulson would find a way to supply it. 

 

The day was winding down and the parking lot was filling with loaded semi-trucks and volunteers when Coulson turned around and came face to face with a very stern-looking Captain America. Taking in Steve’s troubled expression, Coulson had a feeling he knew where the conversation was headed. 

“Agent Coulson, I wanted a word,” Steve began, coming to stand almost at attention before him.

“Yes, of course,” Coulson replied and catching Steve’s eye he tilted his head, clearly inviting him to follow. Coulson led them away from the crowd and eventually turned and said, “If this about this morning, please let me assure you Agent Harlow’s death will not go unanswered.”  


Steve scowled and crossing his arms, he glared angrily at Coulson saying, “So you know your team leader murdered a man and he’s still walking around free?”

“Rumlow will be dealt with this evening,” Coulson replied evenly, startled by the threatening stance the national icon was taking. He expected the man to be disturbed by the morning’s events but the level of anger he was exhibiting was surprising.

“So you’re fine with sending the message to your team that a man’s death means nothing? That it’s ok for their leader to kill a teammate? That they should follow the orders of a man that has no respect for them or the job they do? Because that’s what they are seeing right now,” Steve said furiously, gesturing to the subdued group standing around Rumlow, who appeared to be laughing. 

Steve’s description of the situation caused Coulson to pause as he hadn’t considered the overall message postponing Rumlow’s arrest would send. Reluctantly, he could see the man’s point. With a pained frown, Coulson said remorsefully, “That wasn’t my intention. But I understand your concern. Unfortunately, there is little I can do about the situation now. We plan to take Rumlow into custody when we return to town. But, I will make it clear to the team that Rumlow’s actions were not condoned in any way.” 

Steve didn’t appear particularly mollified by Coulson’s explanation or assurances. If anything he seemed more affronted as he declared, “I’ve never seen a man with such a cavalier attitude toward killing of a fellow soldier. It’s disgraceful that Rumlow is in charge of a group of men when it’s clear he couldn’t give a damn about them. The lack of respect -”

“I understand your frustration Captain. And, I agree. Rumlow’s behavior was completely unacceptable,” Coulson interjected, sensing Steve was building up a head of steam. While Coulson might agree with what Steve had to say he didn’t have the time to indulge him. Instead, he redirected the conversation saying, “Once we take Rumlow into custody the team is going to need some guidance. If you have time, they might benefit from your presence. People admire you as Captain America. What you have to say holds weight. Setting a good example by demonstrating how to treat others would probably go a long way right now.”

Steve quieted and relaxed his stance as he considered Coulson’s words. His expression cleared and he nodded agreeably replying, “I’ll do whatever you need.”

“Excellent. For now, I think if you spoke with the men. Maybe tried to get to know them? That would be helpful,” Coulson suggested. 

“I can do that,” Steve said eagerly, glancing over at the team with a contemplative expression.

“Good. Thank you. I appreciate any help you can offer,” Coulson replied. With an understanding nod, the pair cordially parted ways, both confident that they had been heard and that the situation was being handled. While Coulson would have liked to talk with Steve further he was pressed for time. As he walked away Coulson had a fledging thought about the type of influence Steve would have on the team and he suspected the man wasn’t aware of the power he wielded. For now, Coulson could only hope Steve’s presence would help cushion the blow Rumlow’s arrest would cause. 

 

Despite the tragedy that took place that morning, the day’s expedition was successful. No other zombies were found, and teams were able to fill twenty-seven semi-trucks and nine horse trailers. The sun was just beginning to set when the convoy of trucks left for Creede, and the carrier’s shuttles picked up the last of the volunteers. Coulson boarded the last shuttle with mixed emotions. The day had been long and trying and it wasn’t over yet. Between Darcy’s surgery, the death of an agent, coupled with the manner in which he died, the unforeseen promise of fresh food in the future, and the success of the expedition, Coulson was feeling stretched in multiple directions. That he still had to deal with Rumlow’s arrest and speak with the team gave him pause as he considered all the possibilities and ramifications of the situation. He suspected it would be a long night. Taking a seat Coulson determinedly compartmentalized his many concerns and purposefully turned his thoughts to Darcy. She would be recovering from her surgery, and he planned to be at her side when she woke.

Returning to the infirmary, Coulson found Darcy sleeping soundly, clad in a snowflake covered hospital gown, dark hair fanned out across her pillow with the slightest blush gracing her cheeks. Relief that she seemed fine swept through Coulson and a sense of calm settled over him as he looked down at her. Just seeing Darcy caused him to breathe a bit easier. A brief smile escaped him as he drank in how soft and delicate she appeared. It contrasted sharply with her usual bright countenance. Pulling up a chair, Coulson set his laptop on the edge of her bed and began to write up his observations of the day’s events and tally their expected haul. 

Concentrating on his work it took Coulson a moment to recognize that Darcy was awake. Glancing up, he watched as she grimaced and blearily looked around. Charmed by her confused expression, Coulson smiled affectionately and trying to reassure her, he gently grasped her wrist saying, “Darcy. You’re in the infirmary. You just had surgery.”

“Phil?” she asked hazily trying to focus on him.

“Yes?”

“Don’t let Jane go,” Darcy said adamantly.

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t let Jane go,” she insisted again.

“Alright,” Coulson replied placidly, fairly certain Darcy wasn’t fully cognizant and the anesthesia was causing her to speak nonsense. 

“Ok, good. Because the pandas will get her,” Darcy explained.

“Pandas?”

“Yes. They’re black and white,”

“I see,” Coulson replied drily. When Darcy didn’t continue he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good. Have you seen the clouds? Do you want to get on mine?” Darcy asked earnestly.

“No. I’m fine here,” Coulson assured her.

“There’s room for both of us,” Darcy argued, patting her hand against the edge of her bed as if to show him.

Wanting to soothe her Coulson took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze saying, “Thank you. I’m fine here. The cloud is just for you.”

“Oh. Alright,” Darcy agreeably replied, as she pulled Coulson’s hand into her lap. After a moment she glanced at him with a cagey expression. With a shy smile, she shared, “I like you. You’re nice.”

Surprised by her admission, Coulson clasped Darcy’s hand a bit firmer for a moment as he sincerely replied, “Thank you. I like you too.”  


Darcy smiled happily. Glancing about warily she asked, “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.”

“I think you’re my boyfriend,” Darcy whispered furtively.

“Really?”

“Ah-ha. But it’s a secret.”

“I see.”

“You can’t tell anyone,” Darcy solemnly warned. 

“I won’t.”

“Good. I knew I liked you.

“Yes?”

“Ah-ha. You act all serious but you’re not. You’re all squishy underneath,” Darcy earnestly explained. 

Coulson blinked at the description before saying in mild disbelief, “Squishy?” 

“Yeah. It’s like your laugh is always just peeking out, and all I have to do is squish you, and it will pop out,” Darcy explained. 

“I see. So squishy is a good thing?” Coulson inquired dubiously. 

“It’s the best,” Darcy replied with a dreamy smile. After a moment she frowned and pulling his hand closer to her chest worriedly asked, “You won’t leave will you?” 

“No. I came here for you,” Coulson assured her, giving her hand another gentle squeeze. 

“Ok. Good. I don’t want zombies to get you. One almost got me. That would have been bad.” 

“There aren’t any zombies here. We’re safe.”

“We’re safe?”

“Yes.”

“Ok,” Darcy replied dreamily, seemingly comforted. She smiled vaguely at him and then with a soft sigh closed her eyes. A moment later her grip lessened and she released her tight hold on Coulson’s hand. 

With a tender smile, Coulson looked down at Darcy, amused and touched at the trust she showed him. While surprised to learn she thought of him as her boyfriend, Coulson couldn’t deny he wasn’t pleased. He was curious to know if Darcy would remember their conversation, and if so, how she would react to her confession. Whether she did remember or not, Coulson did not plan to hold her to it. He wanted Darcy to be sober and coherent if she made such a declaration again. 

A short time later she woke much more lucid. After handing Darcy her glasses and offering her some water, Coulson asked “How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”

“No. I’m good,” Darcy replied as she shifted and gave her sling and arm a cursory inspection. Sitting up a bit higher in bed she asked, “So, how did today go? Did you get everything you wanted?”

“We filled all of the trucks,” Coulson curtly replied.

Something in his tone caught Darcy’s attention. Assessing him for a moment and taking in his slightly rigid posture and unusually closed expression she asked suspiciously, “What happened?”

Coulson hesitated, not wanting to delve into what had occurred. But recognizing that Darcy’s eyes were clear and her gaze expectant, he solemnly replied, “We had some trouble. It’s being taken care of.”

“Trouble?” Darcy repeated before scowling and saying knowingly, “Trouble that you had to take care of. Are you ok?”

“Me?” Coulson questioned in surprise as he hadn’t considered the day’s events in relation to himself. That Darcy was concerned for him was comforting but caught him off guard. Trying to mollify her and redirect the conversation he said, “I’m fine. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. For now, why don’t we get you sitting up and see how you feel. We need to leave the carrier soon.”

With a slightly puzzled frown, Darcy considered Coulson and seeing he clearly didn’t want to discuss the situation, let the matter drop; certain he would tell her what she needed to know later. After a moment she smiled, chagrined and said, “This gown opens in the back. Unless you want me flashing everyone I’m going to need my clothes.”

Sensing Darcy was letting him off the hook Coulson shook off some of the worry hanging over him and fell back on their normal light banter. He drily replied with a trace of amusement, “We can’t have that.” Reaching out he began to raise the bed saying, “Let’s get you sitting up and then I’ll get the nurse. She’ll help you get dressed.”

Darcy grinned mischievously and shifting into a more comfortable position she teased, “What? Don’t you want to help me get dressed?”  


Surprisingly, Coulson flushed and he faltered for a moment before reasserting his usual calm façade. Rallying he said contritely, “It's not that I don't want to help you. It's just that you need someone who will make sure you don't injure yourself."

"I know you'd never let me get hurt,” Darcy confidently assured him. 

"I also don't want to see what isn't willingly shown," Coulson confided. 

With a flirtatious grin, Darcy declared “I’m very willing.” Blushing profusely she ducked her head in embarrassment and laughed as she ordered, “Now go get a nurse!” 

Surprised by how blatant Darcy’s quick rebuttal had been Coulson was somewhat amused to also see how bashful she was. Taking pity on her, he placidly smiled as he patted her on the knee and said, “I’ll be right back.” 

Getting Darcy dressed and back up to the flight deck took longer than Coulson anticipated. While she was coherent, she wasn’t completely stable on her feet. Between the drugs and her center of gravity being off due to her injury, Coulson found himself continually reaching out to steady her. For her part, Darcy was unusually docile and allowed him to direct her wherever he needed her to go. 

Knowing he faced a difficult situation as soon as he returned to town, Coulson contacted Jane hoping she would be able to collect Darcy and see her home. He regretted needing to make that decision but felt he had no choice as time was running short. While Coulson would have preferred to look after Darcy himself, as a community leader and as Rumlow’s superior he needed to be present at the man’s arrest to lend credence to the situation. 

As Coulson and Darcy boarded the shuttle they were joined by Fury, who looked the couple over and with a subtle smirk at Coulson turned his attention to Darcy and asked, “Miss Lewis, how are you feeling?”

“Good. Thank you. O captain, my captain,” Darcy said with a jaunty salute.

Fury considered the brunette for a moment before gruffly sharing, “I never really cared for Whitman. That poem is too dour. If I had to pick one I’d go with O Pioneers. I prefer an ode to hard work over one lamenting a dead man, even if it was Lincoln.” 

Darcy blinked and then slowly smiled. “You know poetry! You’re a romantic!”

Disconcerted, Fury leveled a narrow glare at her. With an unhurried contemplative look he considered Coulson and glancing back at Darcy he said thoughtfully said, “You know? Sometimes I am.”

Darcy grinned at him as she was fairly certain she was picking up on his subtle approval and declared, “I knew liked you.”

Casting a dark look at Coulson, Fury reproachfully observed, “She’s going to be a handful.”

“Yes sir, I know,” Coulson replied aggrieved, as his eyes flashed in amusement.

“Hey,” Darcy protested. “I’m a joy.”

“You’re something alright,” Fury commented drily. 

Coulson suspected Fury was enjoying himself as he rarely saw the man let his guard down enough to converse and tease the way he was with Darcy. He glanced between them as they continued to evaluate one another, seemingly daring the other to make the next move and Coulson had a feeling they were, oddly enough, well-matched. “I can see I’m going to need to keep the two of you separated,” Coulson said with a pained, yet somewhat pleased smile. 

“He started it,” Darcy petulantly accused.

“No, I believe you did,” Coulson gently admonished, adding pointedly, “Baiting him by calling him captain was your opening gambit.”

“He’s in charge of magical flying fortress what else would you call him?” Darcy demanded.

“I can see how you would come to that conclusion but as it is he goes by director,” Coulson affably replied.

“Director? Of what? Do they put on musicals on the flight deck?” Darcy sarcastically demanded.

Fury snorted and a few agents sitting nearby suddenly began to cough. Luckily, the shuttle landed at that moment and agents began to disembark. A few glanced in their direction, clearly amused by the conversation and yet trying to at least pretend they weren’t aware of it. Darcy came to her feet a bit shakily and with his hand at her back, Coulson escorted her off the vehicle with a firmly held neutral expression. They were immediately met by Jane, who fussed over Darcy as she took a bag of medication from Coulson. With a grim look, she said, “I heard about today. The team was parking their trucks at the edge of town when I came in. I hope you plan on doing something about Rumlow.” 

With a pensive nod of acknowledgment, Coulson replied, “He’ll be taken care of.” He added, in a reassuring tone, “If it’s not too late I’ll try to come by to check on Darcy. Call if she becomes ill. I’ll get the doctor.”

“I’ll be fine Phil. Go do what you need to do,” Darcy earnestly assured him, sensing something serious was happening and not wanting to distract him further. 

Promising again that he would be available if they needed him, Coulson turned and led Fury toward the eastern edge of the community. A pall hung over the men as they made their way across the small town. At the city limit, under the glow of the last streetlight, they found the sheriff and his deputies standing before their trucks blocking the road. Coulson quickly conferred with the sheriff and learned the Strike team was expected at any moment as they had driven their semi-trucks to the edge of town a short time ago. 

The first down the street were Clint, Natasha, and Steve, along with a dozen agents from the helicarrier who had helped with driving duties. The group took in the sight before them and quietly spread out around Coulson and Fury, clearly offering their support in what was about to happen. A short time later the Strike team appeared, walking down the center of the street with Rumlow in the lead. Chatting amongst themselves it took a moment for them to notice the blockade. Quieting, the group slowly approached, coming to a halt at the edge of the light cast by the streetlight. The team uneasily evaluated the group arrayed before them and glanced nervously at one another, unsure how to proceed. After a protracted silence, Rumlow scowled and asked suspiciously, “What the hell is this?”

“Brock Rumlow, you are under arrest for the murder of Chris Harlow,” the sheriff stated, as he stepped forward with a set of handcuffs dangling from his hand. His deputies strode resolutely by his side, carefully watching Rumlow for any suspicious movement.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Rumlow said incredulously. “Coulson, you really want to do this?” he demanded looking over the sheriff’s shoulder to the man behind him.

“It’s my understanding you intentionally shot a teammate today,” Coulson coolly replied.

“I was doing my fucking job,” Rumlow growled, as he quickly turned his attention back to the sheriff.

“It was reported you shot Harlow seconds after he was attacked. We have procedures in place in case someone is exposed to the virus. He should have been put in quarantine,” Coulson calmly replied.

“We didn’t have time for that crap. He was as good as dead,” Rumlow contended glancing over the sheriff’s shoulder and directing his ire at Coulson.

“Put your gun down. And hold your arms out at your side,” the sheriff ordered, taking a few steps closer, ignoring the conversation.

“Fuck this,” Rumlow said taking a step back, bracing his arms over his gun.

The sheriff and his deputies froze as they took in Rumlow’s more aggressive stance. Silence reigned as Rumlow considered the number of people arrayed before him. With a smirk, he said, “You really think you’re taking me in? Me and my guys can take you. Easy.”

There was movement off to Rumlow’s right as a Strike Team member slipped his gun over his head and holding it low at his side, stepped out of line. He headed directly for Steve and coming to stand before him, said, “I really thought Brock would get away with killing Chris. I didn’t think you’d do anything.”

“The only thing I did was tell the truth. Just like you,” Steve earnestly replied.

With a nod of acknowledgement, the soldier glanced at Clint, who quickly stepped back, allowing the man to stand at Steve’s side.

Watching the interaction Rumlow growled, “Greenfield get your ass back here.”

A moment later another Strike team member stepped away, followed by yet another. They made their way over to Steve and with a nod, quickly came to stand behind him.

“That’s how it is, huh? You think following Captain America is going to save your asses? He doesn’t know crap. He’ll get you killed.”

“Maybe. But I doubt he’ll be pulling the trigger,” Greenfield replied.

The sheriff took another step forward and repeated, “Put your gun down.”

“Fuck you,” Rumlow angrily retorted, holding his ground.

In response, the two deputies pulled out their guns and calmly trained them on Rumlow. 

“Agent. Put down your gun,” Coulson directed.

“Not going to happen,” Rumlow evenly responded.

“You’ll be given a chance to tell your side. But for now, you need to do as you’re told,” Coulson urged.

Rumlow glanced uneasily to the left and right, evaluating his team. None of them stood at the ready. With a scowl, he appealed to the man in charge, “Coulson, this is bullshit. I was doing my job. Harlow was as good as dead.”

“That wasn’t for you to decide,” Coulson replied, adding, “The laws haven’t changed agent. If you had killed a teammate three months ago you would have been brought up on charges just like you are now.”

“Yeah, well, times have changed,” Rumlow replied snidely as he closely watched the sheriff and the guns the deputies held on him.

“Put your gun down,” the sheriff repeated, taking another step forward followed by his deputies. The tension was almost unbearable now that he stood only ten short feet away from Rumlow.

To the far right of Rumlow, one of his men lowered his gun to his side and said, “Coulson’s right Brock. You shouldn’t have killed Chris. He might have made it.”

Turning to the man Rumlow growled, “He was as good as dead and you know it.”

As soon as Rumlow took his eyes off of the sheriff, he and his deputies converged on him. Mayhem reigned as Rumlow jerked back and thrust out the butt of his gun to try to push the men back. The sheriff grabbed the barrel pushing it up into the air as he slapped the cuffs on the Rumlow’s left wrist. The deputies, having holstered their weapons, each dived for the weapon. One grasped Rumlow’s right hand to pull it away from the gun and twisted it behind his back, as the other attempted to get the weapon under control. Meanwhile, the Strike team scattered. None were apparently interested in helping their leader. 

Rumlow attempted to fight off the three men, almost dislodging them as he swung the butt of the rifle into one of the deputies and using the momentum to turn but he was quickly forced to his knees and then down to the ground. The sheriff landed with his knee on Rumlow’s back as he pulled the man’s arm back to finishing cuffing him. Meanwhile, a deputy straddled the team lead’s legs as the other pulled the gun away. Throughout the quick altercation, Rumlow tried to buck the men off and loudly complained, “Get the hell off me!”

Continuing to struggle even while lying face down on the ground, Rumlow yelled, “Coulson, you don’t want to do this. You need me.”  


Handcuffed, Rumlow was pulled to his feet and as the deputies patted him down for other weapons he continued to try to shake them off. Furious, he yelled at the Strike team members who stood by anxiously watching, “What the hell are you standing there for? Johnson get over here and help me!”

With the team not responding to his demands, Rumlow was helpless as the deputies dragged him over to a truck and forced him into the backseat. In the meantime, one of the deputies began to recite his Miranda rights to which Rumlow snorted and exclaimed, “You got to be kidding me. You’re all delusional. The world ended. This is all just bullshit.”

With a slam of the truck door, Rumlow’s constant barrage of complaints were muffled, and those gathered let go of the preverbal breath they had been holding. The Strike team shifted uneasily, looking at one another, unsure what to do. Taking in the nervous soldiers, Coulson stepped forward saying, “Gentlemen. I assure you Rumlow will be given every chance to defend himself. If any of you wish to see him later I’m sure the sheriff can arrange a visit. In the meantime, I’d like to speak with each of you. If you would accompany me back to headquarters?” 

Exuding calm, Coulson made eye contact with each of the men, asserting his authority as well as attempting to reassure them that the situation was under control. He was gratified to see that given direction the men relaxed minutely and responded positively to his subtle command. Turning, Coulson led the group into town, with Fury falling in step beside him. The team hesitated but glancing worriedly at one another, followed. The three men standing with Steve nodded respectfully at him and stepped to the back of the line, standing just a little bit taller and more confident than the men proceeding them.

 

As much as Coulson might have appreciated having Fury standing at his side during the team interviews, he knew it was imperative he handle the situation alone. He needed to reestablish his authority, especially now that the team was without a leader. That Rumlow had used fear to instill discipline complicated the matter. Coulson needed to gain the men’s trust without being intimidating while also not coming across as weak. He found himself treading a very narrow path. He hoped his years of experience as an agent and the men’s knowledge of his time as an Army Rangers would strengthen his credibility and carry him through the next few hours. 

Coulson had a fairly good idea of what to expect from most of the men. Based on his impressions from the previous evening’s confrontation, he hoped at least four of them would be amenable to him. The other four he questioned how strong their loyalty to Rumlow would be now that he was taken out of the equation. Coulson decided to start with the soldier that had initially approached Steve. He was curious to know about that interaction and wondered why the man had put his trust in him. While Coulson could understand anyone’s fascination with Captain America, he questioned how it could be so strong as to cause them to turn their back on their team, no matter how unhappy they were.

Coming to stand at his doorway, Coulson silently observed the men lining the hallway. For the most part, they were an anxious, dejected lot. The three that had taken a stand stood a short distance away from the others and seemed a bit more self-assured. Somewhat encouraged by what he was seeing Coulson cleared his throat and said, “Gentlemen. Let’s get started. While you’re waiting there are MRE’s in the kitchen. Mr. Greenfield, would you please join me?”

Greenfield followed Coulson into his office and quickly took the chair offered to him. Coulson subtly observed him as he made a show of arranging a note pad and picking up a pen. He noted that the man appeared worried, yet composed and Coulson got the impression he was anxious to tell his story. Leaning forward in his chair Coulson quietly said, “Why don’t you tell me about this morning. Start at the beginning.”

Shifting in his chair Greenfield considered his answer with a contemplative frown before saying, “Rumlow told Chris and me to do a perimeter check of the building. We were in a storage room and were just about to open the back door to check out the rear of the building when this zombie came out of nowhere. Chris fought it off. But he was big. I was afraid to shoot because I didn’t want to hit Chris, but it was hard to get ahold of the thing. I didn’t want to get bit. But I got him by the back of the collar and yanked him backward. And, the next thing I know Brock shot it.” 

Looking down Greenfield frowned and took a moment before determinedly continuing, “When I turned around to check on Chris he was pulling at his sleeve all freaked out. Then he pushed open the backdoor to get outside. I guess for the light? He was patting himself down, checking his neck and hands over. Chris’s sleeve was torn and he was yanking at it, practically crying he was so freaked. I was trying to tell him to calm down and that the zombie didn’t get him when Rumlow pushed through the door, grabbed his arm and then shot him. Just like that.”

Clearly dismayed by what had happened, Greenfield looked at Coulson hoping he too would see how appalling Rumlow’s actions were. After a moment he glanced down and away, regret and sorrow playing across his face. Gathering himself he leaned forward and said insistently, “Chris didn’t have a mark on him. I looked, afterward. His sleeve was ripped and his arm was sort of reddish but he didn’t have any cuts. His skin was fine, just a little banged up. I mean, the thing’s spit could have gotten on him and maybe infected him that way, but Chris wasn't bitten. He could have made it.”

Gesturing to his side as if to encompass others he fervently added, “I showed the captain. Clint was there. So was Agent Romanoff. They all saw. Chris’s arm was fine.” He added angrily, “Rumlow saw too and he just walked away. He didn’t care.”

“To be clear, Rumlow looked at Harlow’s arm before he shot him?” Coulson asked pointedly.

“Yeah, but for only like a second,” Greenfield replied irately. He added resolutely, “Rumlow couldn’t have seen much because he didn’t push the sleeve up or anything. All he could have seen was the tear. It wasn’t until I pulled up the sleeve, afterward, that you could see there wasn’t a bite. So there was no way for Rumlow to know one way or the other if Chris was bit just by looking at his sleeve.”

“I see,” Coulson said noncommittally as he made some quick notes. Sitting back he considered Greenfield for a moment. He saw a man confident in the story he was telling but also almost desperate to be believed. Fairly certain he had gotten what he needed, Coulson decided to entertain his curiosity and asked, “Tonight you said, you thought Rumlow would get away with killing Chris and that you didn’t think the Captain would do anything. What did the Captain do that made you hope he might help in some manner?”

Greenfield smiled wryly and said, “He promised Rumlow would pay. He said soldiers should be treated with respect. And that he’d make sure we were.”

As he spoke Greenfield took on a more positive, hopeful posture and expression. Captain America had obviously made an impression, one that was unlikely to be shaken quickly. A minuscule thought that had been at the back of Coulson’s mind came to the forefront as he listened to Greenfield. Coupled with the conversation Coulson had with Steve earlier, he thought he just might have the perfect replacement for Rumlow. With that thought taking hold, Coulson smiled understandingly and said, “I spoke with him earlier today. So did the sheriff. The Captain was quite adamant that Rumlow be arrested. And, he also had some strong opinions about how soldiers should be treated.”

Greenfield nodded, clearly gratified that his faith in the man had not been misplaced. Sensing the interview was coming to an end Greenfield looked up hesitantly to say something but stopped. Looking down he pushed he hands down to his knees and breathed out slowly, clearly holding himself back.

“Was there something else you’d wanted to say?” Coulson asked solicitously, curious to know what else was causing him concern. 

Hesitating Greenfield looked away, but then sitting up a bit straighter said, “I was hoping we could do something. For Chris.” He added with a self-conscious shrug, “I mean. I know he’s dead. But…” 

With an understanding nod, Coulson replied, “I think that is a good idea. We should recognize our fallen. I think a memorial would be appropriate. Maybe in a few days? I’ll need time to get something organized.”

Greenfield relaxed slightly and he said with an appreciative nod, “Yeah. A memorial would be good.”

“Very well, I’ll take care of it,” Coulson assured him as he came to his feet. Shaking Greenfield’s hand Coulson made a point of looking the man in the eye as he thanked him and encouraged him to get something to eat. 

At the end of the evening, Coulson pulled the team together and clarified a few points. He clarified that the team would report directly to him for the foreseeable future. He made sure they understood they were not in trouble, but that SHIELD regulations still stood and they were expected to comply with them. Lastly, Coulson emphasized Rumlow’s behavior was not acceptable and that procedures were in place to protect everyone, including them and that Harlow’s death could have been avoided had those procedures been followed. 

As Coulson finished writing up his notes for the evening, he concluded that he had a solid understanding of what had occurred that day. He also felt he had successfully reinforced his authority with the team and gained some insight into the team’s makeup. He felt confident given the right person, they would transition over to a new team lead. There were a few hardened individuals who obviously followed Rumlow faithfully, but Coulson got the impression they were easily influenced and manipulated. With the right leader, the men would emulate them and adopt more acceptable behavior and attitudes. He suspected it would simply be a matter of time before they followed a new leader with the same loyalty they had once shown Rumlow. This time, however, Coulson would ensure the team’s trust was not misplaced as he planned to install Captain America as the team’s next leader.


End file.
